Where the Future Takes Us
by Short Chocobo
Summary: Sequel to Promises: As Tenten works towards fulfilling her career goals, her relationship with Kakashi becomes collateral damage. Will there be a future for Kakashi and Tenten or are they destine for different paths. Narutoverse (with some canon changes).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I suggest reading the prequel, Promises, before delving into this. It's not a requirement but some parts of the story will not make sense without it. Thanks for all those who take the time to read my gibberish!**

**I do not own Naruto or it's characters but the hodge podge of words below are all mine!**

Chapter 1:

Every inch of her body dripped with sweat, making it difficult for him to get a decent grip without slipping. This back and forth game they played was wearing him out. Panting loudly, lungs crying for air as he exerted the remainder of his energy to maintain his position on top of her. The sweat from his forehead could no longer be contained by his headband as the droplets raced one another down his cheeks and pooled at the point of his chin. He tightened his grip on her wrist, pulling her arms above her head and shifting so the full weight of his hips were against hers. She was just as breathless and sweaty as he was but they were both enjoying the rush of adrenaline. He briefly thought to himself how he liked having her underneath him like that, but pushed the thought away as quickly as it came.

The result in his break in focus was a slight smirk upon her lips. This momentary lapse was just what she needed. She managed to surprise him with a swift twist, shifting her legs from beneath him while rolling over to the left side; his weaker side. Tenten managed to wrench herself free from his arms in two movements before she appeared behind him, kunai tight against his throat. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she tried to catch her breath. It was difficult to breath in such heat when sparring.

"How did...When did you..?" (sigh) "Let's call it a day. I'm dying in this heat." Genma accepted his defeat graciously; mostly because he was already over training in the bright sun.

Konoha summers were not very pleasant for training but that never stopped Team Gai in the past. Back then, the two sane members knew when to call it quits to avoid heat stroke and dehydration. Tenten lowered the kunai, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm and her palms on the right leg of her dark red pants. She located her bag to grab two bottles of water. She joined Genma underneath the shade of a relatively intact weeping willow tree and tossed him one of the bottles. She managed to empty her bottle with several large gulps. Tenten was grateful that it was several degrees cooler beneath the massive tree. Nearly every inch of her clothes were soaked with sweat. Even the ring Kakashi proposed with five weeks prior, hung from a thin necklace and became glued to her collarbone from her perspiration.

Genma looked at her from the corner of his eye; the random sexual thought he had earlier creeping towards the edge of his conscious. He pretended to be lost in thought, but if he was honest, all of his thoughts lingered on how her thoroughly soaked shirt clung to curves hidden beneath her chest bindings. He was fairly certain she had a lot more to offer than what she hid from the world in her oversized clothing.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

He must have been staring at her without realizing it. He stumbled to come up with a good answer; one that did not include the several perverse thoughts running through his buy time, he grabbed a senbon and began chewing on it. It was a habit of his that helped him focus or in this case, to calm his nerves.

"Just trying to think if there is anything left I can teach you." He added a quick shrug before leaning back against the thick tree trunk. With her good natured personality, he was sure she bought the story. Besides, he convinced himself that it wasn't that far from the truth.

His eyes drifted to a close as a hot breeze swirled around, rustling the leaves on the droopy tree. "You've pretty much matched me in hand to hand weapons combat. And I've shown you just about every trick I know. You've got the strength, agility, and speed. All that's left for you to work on is your stealth and form. Maybe get a bit more creative with how to use different weapons. But you shouldn't have a problem with any of that."

Normally Tenten would have beamed at that kind of praise. She respected Genma and not just because of his reputation. He was also Gai's original teammate. Anyone who could put up with and grow with Gai is a special person in her eyes. She crossed her arms and turned her back to him. For some reason, she felt defeated by his words. She wasn't sure why but lately she had this overwhelming feeling of self-doubt looming over her.

"I don't know if it's enough to get into ANBU. I'm not sure if I have any special skill that is even needed. I'm not even sure if I want this anymore. I'm kind of lost as to what to do. For the longest time growing up I thought I wanted to be just like Tsundae-sama. But now, trying to shape my own identity, wants, and needs. It's all very confusing."

Tenten hadn't told anyone about her doubts of applying for ANBU and she surprised herself at how easily she opened up to him. With Kakashi gone, there was a void left; she had no one else she trusted enough to talk to about her feelings. She had her friends but they were busy planning the next phase of their lives; most of which involved marriage and children. She wasn't sure if any of them would understand her.

What she didn't tell Genma was that she was scared. Scared of what she wasn't quite sure. Failure or maybe scared her relationship would change if she succeeded. In ANBU missions, the likelihood of her never returning would increase exponentially even during this time of peace. Kakashi mentioned their relationship would have to change, but they never had the opportunity to talk about it before he left for Suna. With all of these worries tumbling around in her head, she forgot Genma was even there next to her, searching for the right thing to say.

Genma cracked open his right eye, looking at her in confusion. "If you don't make it, it's because you lack confidence not skill. I can't teach you confidence. No one can give you that."

He stood up, brushed the leaves and dirt from his pants, grabbed his bag, and proceeded to walk away. He had enough of sitting in his own sweat and grime. A long shower was calling his name and he intended to answer. Without looking back, he waved to her as he kept walking.

"Don't sell yourself short. You're one of the best kunoichi I've seen. Same time tomorrow."

Walking home in the unrelenting heat was worse than sparring with Genma. The sun baked her already over heated skin and since she wasn't moving fast, there was no breeze to cool her. Although running on the rooftops would have been faster, she imagined it to be 10 times hotter, so she slowly walked through the town to the other side of the village. As she passed Yamanaka's Flower Shop, she waved to Ino through the large window. The over zealous blonde came bursting out of the double doors with a hand full of pink and blue orchids as if she just saw the love of her life. Tenten was filled with instant regret; knowing that her friend was up to something.

"Tenten! I'm so glad you're passing by. I've been trying to catch up with you but you're rarely at the weapons shop anymore and I wanted to stop by your place but I don't even know where you live. Where DO you live and why haven't I ever been over?"

She couldn't outright tell her she lived with Kakashi. Not Ino. This was not the way she wanted her friends to find out about their relationship. Before he left, Kakashi made her promise to wait for his return and they would announce their engagement together. He didn't want her to face that alone and she was thankful for it. But it kind of put her in very awkward positions at times since she wasn't good at lying to her friends. Tenten put on her most convincing grin to mask the pseudo-lie.

"Not too far. Just in the apartments on the other side of the Hokage tower." She said that so quickly she wasn't sure Ino even understood it.

"But um I've been training a lot with Genma for the ANBU test coming up trying to be better than I was yesterday, ya know the old Team Gai motto but what did you need?" She said the entire sentence in one giant breath.

Ino knew she was hiding something. Tenten rarely babbled and she looked nervous. But the usually curious blonde decided not to pry. Not yet. It was hot outside and she wanted to get back to the comfort of the AC inside her shop. Plus, she knew she would get it out of Tenten later on. She had her ways and she intended to use them.

"Oh well I'm throwing a little get together for Sakura. She passed her exam and will officially take over as the lead doctor! So meet us at Insight by 9:30."

As much as she tried, Tenten could not come up with an excuse to get out of this. Kakashi was way better at getting out of engagements than Tenten would ever be. Besides, it was for Sakura and she would do anything if it was a celebration for her friends. Plus maybe it would be an opportunity for Tenten to get out of her head and let her worries go for the night. She stopped fighting and resigned her fate. With a heavy sigh, she agreed to meet them out front by 9:30. As soon as she agreed, she quickly jogged away to avoid having to accept any other commitments. She just knew Ino would ask her to go shopping for outfits and maybe even get hair and makeup done as well. Tenten could only handle so much girl time in one day.

Ino was shocked at how easy it was to get Tenten to commit but not surprised at how fast she ran off. Ino yelled as loud as she could to her fleeing tomboyish friend. "There's a dress code. If you need to borrow anything stop by my house by 8 errr no 7, Ten-chan!"

Tenten cringed at dress code but did not let that stop her forward progress away from Ino. She waved her hand in the air to signal that she got the message and quickened her pace towards home.

It wasn't long before she made it to the safety of the one bedroom apartment she and Kakashi shared. It had been pretty lonely without him the past several weeks, but she was starting to adapt. While living with him, she learned several things about herself, the first being that she wasn't as good of a cook as she thought. Kakashi was light years beyond her in making creative and flavorful dishes. He could pick up any recipe and somehow make it better. She also realized how much she appreciated having someone to come home to every day. Before she enjoyed the solitude of her life, but now after getting comfortable with sharing the small details with someone on a constant basis, she longed for companionship. She noticed the sting of loneliness more whenever he was away.

When she opened the door, she nearly stepped on Bisuke who was taking a nap on the tatami mat near the front door. After their joint mission in Kusa, Tenten grew close to Kakashi's ninken, especially Bisuke. Everyone knew he was her favorite. They even had little inside jokes about the other hounds. Pakkun pretended not to be jealous but he didn't hide it well.

The sleepy dog stood up and stretched his back and legs before jumping into her giggled as she snuggled the ninja-hound; rubbing her cheek against the top of his head. "I'm so glad to see you again, Bisuke. I suppose seeing your cute face means he's extending his trip again."

"He wrote you another letter. He did promise to make it back before the ANBU test so they won't be postponed again. I'm sorry, Ten."

"Eh it's okay. It's part of the job right?" A sad smile graced her face while she scratched behind his ear. Bisuke let out a soft growl of affection as her nails raked over the perfect spot behind his left ear. She looked at the letter he left on the fuuton, but didn't bother to open it. Tenten preferred to enjoy the brief company of Bisuke while she could.

"You should at least open it, Ten." Sometimes she swore he could read her sat on the fuuton and Bisuke curled up on her lap. She proceeded to give him a reassuring belly rub that had his legs pumping in the air with excitement.

"I will. Later though. Any new adventures for you?"

"None. Been rather quiet. Although I think Urushi has a crush on this stuck up poodle. I don't get it. She's too fancy and snobbish for me. But she is cute. Nice tight behind and perky ears."

Tenten swore the life of ninja hounds was as dramatic as a shinobi. Bisuke always had stories, most of them embarrassing ones at the expense of the rest of his pack. But Tenten would never tell the others. She and Bisuke had a bond that could never be broken.

"It's getting late. Did you want to send a letter back?" Bisuke lowered his voice. He hated seeing the disappointment in Tenten's face whenever he had to leave.

She placed the new letter on top of the stack of other letters Bisuke delivered to her over the past five weeks. She found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote

_Don't forget your promise. I love you._

She wasn't sure what else to write. She was physically tired from her spar in the heat and already mentally tired from having to force herself to be social later tonight when all she wanted to do was read in bed with Kakashi by her side. She languidly handed the letter to Bisuke and ruffled the top of his head.

"Take care of him for me will ya? I need him to come home."

"Of course. I should head out. And you need to shower. You smell worse than Bull's butt." He let out a hearty laugh before jumping out the window. Tenten should have been mad, but Bisuke was 100% right. She smelled putrid.

While soaking in a hot bath, she tried not to think about how much she missed Kakashi. She hated to admit that ever since Neji died, she needed someone to provide support and comfort. She forced the swelling of sadness away and focused on her training from today. Genma's words played on repeat. "You're one of the best kunoichi I've ever seen. If you don't make it, it's from lack of confidence not skill."

_(When did I lose all confidence in myself? How can I get that back? I need to do better if I'm going to make ANBU.)_

She slid deeper into the tub until the water reached the tip of her nose. The soft scent of lemon and lavender soaking salts soothed her mind and body. She stayed that way, mind drifting from thought to thought until the water started to turn cold and the tips of her fingers pruned. By the time she finished her bath and dried off, she had enough time to eat a quick dinner and to get dressed.

Despite her friend's impressions, Tenten knew how to dress up. She just preferred to be comfortable in loose fitting clothes. She never felt as if she had the body worth flaunting plus loose clothes allowed her to easily hide weapons. She stared at the clothes in her closet. Everything she owned was either too casual or too formal. She wasn't much into Konoha nightlife and had no reason to own club clothes, but she refused to go to Ino's to ask for help. In the very back of her closet hung the hideous uniform she wore at Karaokekan. She swore she would never wear that outfit again but couldn't get rid of it. Too many memories, good, hilarious, and awful, were attached to that disgrace of a uniform. Tucked away behind it, was the result of a spontaneous shopping trip with Aya. Tenten didn't want to buy it, but the pushy blonde (much like another pushy blonde she knows) would not take no for an answer.

* * *

"Come on Hitomi-chan. Don't you think your hubby deserves to see a little skin every now and then? Show off those perky boobs and those toned abs. Trust me. He won't be able to keep his hands off you. You're buying this."

"Neh Aya Where would I even wear something like this?"

"You'll figure it out. You two should have a date night or something." she winked as she shoved Hitomi into the dressing room. "Try it on for me. I need to make sure I got the right size."

* * *

Tenten's lips curled upward from the daydream. She started to wonder what everyone was up to. If Aya still hung all over everything with a penis or if Momo became a karaoke star. She really did miss hanging out with them. Being a civilian made her feel almost normal and at times she would forget it was all a mission. They truly became her friends and she hoped she would get an opportunity to visit them someday soon.

The alarm she set to remind her to get ready buzzed loudly, breaking Tenten from her reverie. She grabbed the outfit and her favorite pair of black ankle boots. She had to dig through her drawers to find one of the two nicer bras that she still owned (also a forced purchase due to a joint effort between Ino and Sakura). She wore her bindings so often for training that the four year old black lace bra still looked brand new. She dressed quickly; only looking in the mirror long enough to make sure everything still fit. She had to admit that Aya knew what she was doing. Each piece fit like a glove and was perfect for Tenten's shape. Despite showing more skin than she liked, she felt a boost of confidence from how good she looked.

She was running out of time so she kept her damp hair down to let it air dry into it's natural waves. In a way, she could thank Reo's strict rules that forced her to learn how to put on full makeup in under 20 minutes. For tonight, she decided to go simple; a little powder, blush, dark eyeliner, mascara, and a peach shimmery lip gloss and she was finished in 10 minutes Tenten grabbed a small bag and rushed out the door.

The night air was brisk. Tenten immediately became aware of how little clothing she was wearing. She hoped that she wouldn't run into anyone she knew especially Kiba or Naruto. Then again, Naruto probably wouldn't have known it was her and he would be easily fooled. Kiba however, would have harassed her for the rest of their lives; of that she was certain. Tenten wondered what Kakashi would have thought of the way she looked. It was more aligned to the women in the Icha Icha books but so out of character for her. It had never crossed her mind to dress up for him but perhaps it may be a nice surprise; assuming he would return anytime this century. As she approached the nightclub Tenten made one promise to herself that she wouldn't let her longing for Kakashi or anything else spoil her opportunity to have fun. For once, she will take the advice Aya gave to her years ago to 'lighten up and enjoy the moment.'


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to all who read and leave reviews. Please continue to do so as it helps me keep motivation to continue and improve my writing. As usual, I don't own Naruto or the characters, but this plot is all mine.**

Chapter 2:

By 9:15, Tenten reached the entrance of Insight. The line to get in was wrapped around the building. She searched through the crowd of pretty girls wearing tight dresses and too much make-up for her friends; but count not locate Ino or Sakura.

"Tenten-san?" A soft voice startled her from behind. She turned around to see Hinata in a pale yellow knee length dress that was very form fitting. Although she was fully covered, the dress hugged her curves in all the right ways. She wore her long black hair pulled up into a ponytail with soft, large curls at the ends. Tenten was a bit jealous of how the former heiress managed to look sexy and innocent at the same time. She wish she had the confidence or the curves to pull that off.

"You look great, Hinata!" She beamed; happy to see her friend again. She hadn't seen a lot of Hinata since her wedding to Naruto, but Tenten noticed she didn't seem as demure as before. Perhaps married life changed her for the better. To be married to someone as energetic as Naruto, you have to be able to speak up to get things done. "I guess Ino and Sakura are arriving fashionably late."

"We are right on time, thank you very much." Ino's mouth dropped when Tenten turned around to face her. "Tenten! Where did you get that outfit? You look amazing!" Ino shouted as she, Sakura, and Temari walked up from the opposite end of the club.

As suspected, Ino was dressed up from head to toe in designer clothes. She wore a stunning off black fitted strapless dress with sheer mesh panels across her stomach that accentuated her small waist. The bright red high heels matched her cherry red lipstick to set off a flawless smokey eye. Instead of her usual high ponytail, her hair was slicked back into a sophisticated low ponytail that brushed the top of her tone butt. If she wasn't from a prominent shinobi family, she could have been a model.

"You both look great. Thanks for coming to celebrate." Sakura was radiant in a soft pink halter top and light grey mini-skirt. Her green eyes scouted the line and her ear to ear smile faded. "It's going to take forever for us to get in. I hope you have a plan, Ino."

"Sakura. Have a little more faith in me than that. Come on, Hinata. Time to work your magic." Ino grabbed the elbow of a confused Hinata and stalked off to the front of the line to the bouncer. The three remaining girls shared a look of concern mixed with intrigue. Less than two minutes later, she's waving at Tenten,Sakura, and Temari to walk right in, skipping the growing line. A few people in the front were noticeably upset, but when you have a Hyuuga heiress/the wife of the greatest hero of Konoha at your club, it's okay to piss off a bunch of nobodies.

The girls were escorted to the back corner to the VIP was in awe at how sophisticated the club appeared. Of course there was still loud music and half-naked people on the dance floor, but it was not nearly as awful as she anticipated. The theme of the club was futuristic with modern decor, lighting, drinks, and food. The music wasn't bad either; an interesting mix of EDM, K-Pop, and Hip Hop which was great for dancing.

"We're starting with shots. Your best tasting shots. Oh and a bottle of wine, thanks!" The waiter bowed and walked off to quickly gather Ino's order. He was back in what seemed like seconds with eight shots, a bottle of expensive wine in an ice bucket, and four wine glasses. He sat them on the table and bowed again before disappearing.

"Ino. Um don't you think this is a lot of alcohol for just us?" Hinata looked nervous at the prospect of having to drink.

Ino passed out one shot glass to each of them. "At least do one with us, Hinata. For Sakura!" As the two girls went back and forth; Tenten noticed that Temari was unusually quiet.

After the first chunin exams, Tenten was intimidated by Temari. But as she grew to know her, she realized the two were a lot alike. Both were strong willed women who had to be the voice of reason on a team of two guys with polar opposite socialization issues. They slowly became friends as Temari spent more time in Konoha with liked that Temari unapologetically stated her opinion, excluding when the subject was Shikamaru.

"Everything okay? You seem kind of down."

"Tch no. Just things on my mind. Things I shouldn't even be worried about. Men are idiots. All of them." She crossed her long legs and pulled down at the hem of her maroon and black fitted dress before crossing her arms and sliding down deeper into the deep purple velvet sofa.

Ino raised her shot glass in the air as a toast. The four clinked their shot glasses and quickly downed the electric blue liquid in one gulp. Even Hinata finished the sugary shot. Based on

the bright flush across her pale cheeks and the coughing fit, it would probably be her last drink of the night.

"Agreed." Tenten nodded towards Temari as they gulped their shots.

"This is actually pretty good. Almost like candy." Sakura said as Ino poured the sparkling wine into each glass.

"That's what makes it dangerous. Better not let Lee get ahold of this. It would be yet another drunken fist disaster." Tenten cringed at the thought.

"Everyone. One more toast to Sakura's achievements! Woman of the hour, say something."

Sakura's eyes darted around nervously from face to face. Ino caught her off guard with requesting a speech. She took a long sip of her wine and giggled her way through a few words to appease Ino.

"Umm thanks everyone for your support and for celebrating with me tonight. Now let's dance!"

"Dance?" Hinata and Temari said in unison.

Temari finished her wine and started to pour herself another glass. "I think I'll just hang out here with Hinata. I'd rather people watch."

Tenten grabbed hers and Hinata's second shots and took them both back to back. "I'm going to need a lot more to drink if I have to dance around strangers on a crowded dance floor."

The three girls stared at Tenten as if she had grown another head. She wiped her mouth on the glow in the dark napkin, smiled, and shrugged. The only way she was getting on that dance floor was if she was inebriated enough to forget it ever happened. She was already self conscious with the amount of skin she was showing. Dancing would be another level of embarrassment. It's not that she couldn't dance. She was actually a very good dancer. Many of her jutsus require her to have the grace and poise of a dancer. But that was fighting. This was socializing to the extreme.

Sakura dragged Ino to the dance floor leaving the other three behind. Hinata joined Temari on the couch, nursing a large glass of water the waiter brought over while Tenten ordered a drink. She was starting to get a slight buzz and figured one more drink would put her in the perfect mood to enjoy the rest of the night.

"Hinata. Do you ever think about coming back as a shinobi? Do you miss it? Is marriage really worth giving all of that up?" Before Hinata could answer, Tenten's drink arrived; a tropical fruit blend mixed with saki. She sipped on the color concoction while staring directly into Hinata's eyes. Temari, while usually indifferent, seemed interested in Hinata's response.

"No. I think my place is making a home for Naruto and I and to support him so he can become Hokage and to start a family soon. I've relinquished my position with my clan so I can help Hinabi take over as head when the time comes. I don't miss fighting but I do miss being around everyone. I don't get to see you all much anymore. It gets lonely sometimes but it was the best decision for us."

"I see." Tenten mumbled into her straw. "I think I'm going to find Sakura and Ino. You coming?"

"N-no. I think I need another glass of water first." Hinata smiled at her obviously intoxicated friend. "You go have fun."

Tenten hugged Hinata and waved to Temari before making her way through the crowd to her friends. It was easy to spot Ino; just follow the gaze of nearly every male and some females in the club. The trio formed a circle, dancing together to a Diplo mix of a BTS song. Tenten was actually having a good time, lost in the sights and sounds surrounding her.

He normally didn't visit places like this. He preferred the more quiet, low key bars on the other end of town. Playing pool was more fun than getting dressed up just to be shot down by pretentious girls wearing too much makeup and body glitter. Still, Genma let Izumo and Kotetsu talk him into joining them for a guy's night out. He had to admit, the club was nice on the inside and the view of the many half dressed women was even nicer. But he was still pretty bored for the most part. He sat at the main bar near the center of the club and nursed his shot of saki while watching Kotetsu trying his best to hit on some girl in a too tight and too short white dress. Watching his friend fail repeatedly would be his true entertainment for the night.

"10 bucks he spills his drink on her."

"Make it 20. Add in that he'll probably step on her shoe."

The duo watched the black hair jonin as he made a move to sit his drink on the table and missed it completely, spilling its contents all over her shoes. She screamed and stormed off to the bathroom to clean up.

"I guess we both lose." Genma said in between sips.

"No way. That counts as spilling it on her. And you said he'd step on her shoes so let's call it half. You owe me 10."

"How about I get the next round of drinks then we're even." Genma waves his hand in the direction of the bartender and orders another round.

"Oh well she wasn't that hot anyway. Izu you're up." Kotetsu grabbed one of the beers Genma ordered and sat down next to his best friend with his back to the bar. "How about that red-head near the entrance."

Izumo and Genma turned in the direction Kotetsu nodded to find that the only red-headed person anywhere near there was a short, long haired man looking as socially awkward as Izumo felt. Genma almost choked on his beer and Izumo merely shot his best friend a deadly glare.

"I can name a thousand things I'd rather do instead, thanks. I'm not looking to touch anyone here, especially any guys. Everyone is sweaty and covered in germs, alcohol, and shame."

"You're thinking of the strip club down the street. This place is classy." Kotetsu argued.

Genma smirked. "Yeah so they're covered in sweat, alcohol, and money instead." I'm going to the head. Don't do anything that gets you slapped until I get back to witness it."

Ino and Sakura decided to head back to the VIP area to rest and chat with Hinata and Temari. In her drunken state, Tenten was having way too much fun dancing to notice their absence. Song after song that came on was 'her favorite jam' and she couldn't stop now. Repeatedly, guys would try to dance behind her but she'd expertly evade them. On the next song change, she decided to take a brief break only to grab another drink before heading back to VIP with the girls. Somewhere in the back of her mind she told herself water is what she needed, however she was almost certain reason would not win out tonight. She was going to drink and dance all her worries and stresses away; at least for one night.

At first he was just staring aimlessly out into the crowd watching the people dance and flirt. It took him a minute to realize his eyes were laser focused on the woman that danced by herself for the last three or four songs. He wasn't sure what she said or did to keep guys from pouncing on her, but he did notice his eyes were not the only ones enjoying the view. When the song switched, she suddenly stopped dancing and walked towards him. He was pretty sure she was only interested in another drink but beneath his calm exterior, Genma started to panic. What if she caught him staring? It would be more embarrassing than the woman that slapped Kotetsu for saying something probably obscene. As she approached, there was a nagging feeling that he knew her from somewhere. He tried his best to avoid blatantly staring at her, but from his peripheral view he could tell her long wavy hair obscured most of her face. Perhaps she was one of his past flings, but hopefully not one he wanted to avoid. No. That wasn't it. He would remember enjoying a body like that. One that moved so seductively in the most elegant way.

The low cut, loose fitting white crop top that showed a peek of the lacey black bra and all of her toned abs was the perfect amount of skin to tease. It only got better as his eyes traveled down to see long legs, dancer's legs he thought. That would also explain how gracefully she moved. The black pants she wore left little to the imagination as he could see how firm and defined her ass was. He was pretty certain she wasn't wearing any panties or else he'd see the outline. If you could even call them pants. They were basically poured on; adhering to her legs like latex. He was disappointed he couldn't clearly see her face as it was covered in a sea of brown wavy hair. But Genma was certain by the time she reached the bar he would be pleasantly surprised.

"Hey bartender. I'd like another drink please. Let's try the ummm Venus Vines. That sounds refreshing."

"Add her drink to my tab." Genma kept his eyes towards the bartender. He didn't normally blatantly hit on women but wasn't that the point of going to a club to begin with?

"Smooth. And thank you." Tenten turned to face the generous guy who was obviously trying to pick her up. She flashed her biggest smile which immediately twisted into a bout of confusion

"Genma?! What are you doing here?"

He was right that her face would be just as enticing as her body but he was a bit thrown off that she knew who he was. When it came to the shinobi world, he wasn't as universally known like Naruto so why would an average civilian know anything about him? He looked into her eyes and then it hit him.

"Tenten!?" She hugged him when he said her name. Her body was pressed so tightly against him and he did not know how to react. He was so confused he couldn't return the hug. As quickly as the hug began it ended when the bartender interrupted the one sided awkward moment by bringing her drink. She was very obviously drunk and Genma politely asked the bartender to cut her off after this one. He shrugged and went back to serving other customers. Genma's eyes zoomed in on her full lips as they wrapped around the neon green straw and sipped her fruity cocktail.

_"When did I start noticing her lips?"_

"Hey Genma. I lost Ino and Sakura. Dance with me?"

Shiranui Genma does not dance. Ever. He didn't dance at Naruto's wedding. He didn't dance at the celebration for his graduation from the academy. He was not going to start now. At least that's what he was screaming in his head. His body betrayed him. The effect a pair of large brown hopeful eyes had on him was incredible. He was a skilled jonin who should not have been so easily persuaded. And yet, seconds later, he found himself on the dance floor behind Tenten with both hands awkwardly placed on her hips while he moved along with the music. It wasn't that Genma couldn't dance, he just felt it was something to be done in a more intimate setting; perhaps with a different person. Nevertheless, there he was, his groin mere inches from her gyrating butt and swirling hips. He tried to stop himself from focusing on her body; reminding himself that this is his former partner's 'precious lotus blossom' or whatever. Plus he has taken on a sort of temporary sensei role for her. It wasn't working. It wouldn't take long before other parts of his body noticeably reacted to her movement as well. He could feel the stares from Izumo and Kotetsu burning holes into his back. He didn't dare look at the pair and would do whatever was necessary to avoid them for the rest of the night.

_"Shit. I have no idea how I'm going to explain this later. I should have never came here with them."_

A gentle tap on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Ino, Sakura,Temari, and what he assumed was a very intoxicated Hinata behind him. He gave Ino a once over, not denying how incredible she looked. But she wasn't his type and did not have nearly the same effect on him as Tenten.

"Ehhh looks like you and Tenten are having fun." Ino winked (which caused Genma to cringe inside). "Make sure Tenten gets home safely. I will know if anything happens to her." Ino's voice changed from sweet to deadly. It was enough to intimidate any ninja. Genma could only nod in agreeance as the group of women hugged their goodbyes (excluding Hinata who he was surprised still managed to stand on her own). Temari whispered something into Tenten's ear that caused her a shocked expression then sent her into a fit of laughter. Genma was almost afraid to ask what she said, but enjoyed the view of her rapidly rising and falling cleavage.

It took some clever coaxing to get Tenten to leave and even more probing to get a general idea on where she lived. Had he known one additional drink would make it difficult for her to stand on her own, he would not have allowed her to convince him to try a Saki Bomb shot. He had to hold her tightly to keep her from falling to the ground. The girl could not hold her liquor. Something she'd need to work on if she planned on doing any more undercover missions. The summer nights grew chilly the moment the sun went down. An unfortunate side effect of having a scantily clad attractive woman hanging on you during a brisk night meant some of her curvaceous assets stiffened and repeatedly brushed against him. As much as he tried to ignore her hardening nipples, he was only human; so he peaked once or twice but not more than three times.

When they finally reached her apartment complex he had to force her to focus to guide him where to go. In that instance it was as if she snapped out of her drunken trance and she started walking on her own.

"Thanks for walking me home. I can take it from here." She tried to grin sweetly, hoping to convince Genma to not follow her further. She was definitely feeling the affects of all those drinks, but she was still a kunoichi and she was very aware of her surroundings. She was wary about him finding out where she lived.

At first he thought If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she was faking not being able to walk just to get close to him. But that wasn't the Tenten he knew; drunk or sober. Added to the fact that as she walked away, she swayed a bit from side to side, Genma knew it wouldn't play well on his conscious if something happened to her. He decided to follow her; for her own safety of course.

Genma knew the complex fairly well since this is where Kakashi lived. As part of the special guard to the Hokage, he was one of the few in the village with this privileged information. As they approached the same building that housed Kakashi's apartment, Genma began to wonder if she was taking him on some wild goose chase.

Tenten's head was still spinning but she could always find her way home. She was so glad that she ran into Genma at Insight. It was nice being able to dance with a guy she could trust to let her have fun and who wouldn't take advantage of her. He also didn't ask too many questions so that made it easier to continue her temporary escape from reality. Ready to get out of the cold and into her warm bed, she picked up the pace as they approached the entrance.

"Tenten. What are you doing? This is no time for games. We are not breaking into this apartment." "_Maybe she is more drunk than I thought if she's trying to pull a prank on Kakashi."_ Genma thought.

"Huh? I don't have to break in. I have keys." She fumbled for the keys in her bag and then dangled them in the air with a smile before unlocking the door and entering the apartment.

_"Why the hell does she have keys to his apartm…"_ Genma stopped mid thought as he surveyed the tidy living room with Tenten's set of scrolls laying on the dining table. He watched her place her keys on the hook next to the door, take off her shoes and slip on her sandals.

"You can come in if you like." She shrugged and walked into the back of the apartment while simultaneously pulling off her shirt. It was almost as if she didn't realize she was in a bra and not her usual bindings.

Genma slowly made the connection that she was living here with Kakashi. Sure there could be some rational explanation. She is his rival's student. Perhaps after the war Kakashi took her in as a way to comfort and protect her. It doesn't really sound like something he'd do willingly but stranger things have happened. Tenten returned wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and her hair pulled up into a single high ponytail. She looked like a model on the cover of one of those sleazy books Kakashi always reads. And Genma was pretty certain that was one of Kakashi's shirts.

"Um thank you for walking me home." She hugged him again before yawning. "I'm going to sleep. You can sleep here if you want. There's an extra futon in the living room."

"No. No thanks. I don't live too far. Goodnight Tenten." Genma turned and left the apartment. Walking home alone, he was left with so many thoughts. "_Tenten and Kakashi...dating? If that was the case, why was she all over him tonight? Did it mean anything to her? Did it mean anything to me?"_

By the time he arrived home, he needed to take a long shower to settle his mind...and a cold one to settle his body before he could peacefully fall asleep.

As Genma left, Tenten grabbed the unopened letter from Kakashi and headed back to their bedroom. She climbed underneath the sheets and started to read the letter.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm so sorry that took way longer than I wanted to edit this. Thank you for all that have read and/or reviewed. It definitely keeps me going!**

**\- I don't own Naruto or the characters but I do own this over the top story about this crack pairing.**

"We should go over the plan one more time. I don't want anyone, Sakura, to mess this up."

"Me?! What makes you think I'll mess up, Ino?"

"Well, I'm just checking. Everything needs to be perfect for this to work. Just make sure you don't screw up."

"Should we really be meddling in this? It really seems like none of our business."

"Temari, you of all people should know how difficult it is getting together with the one you want. If we don't nudge her, who will?"

"Tch. And what do you know about people getting together? Are you and Sai even exclusive yet or are you his dirty little secret?"

"Who do you think pushed Shikamaru to ask you out?"

Temari was taken aback by that comment. The last time she was at a loss for words was after her first kiss with Shikamaru. The memory was enough to turn her cheeks a tinge of pink.

"It's true, Temari. Despite her being nosey and probably failing at her own relationship, Ino is really good at this matchmaker stuff." Sakura reassured the sand kunoichi.

Ino let Sakura's snide comment slide. There were more important things at stake. "So it's settled. Operation get Tenten and Genma to fall in love starts now."

"_It's such a nice day out. I wonder if Lee is back from his training yet. Oh I need to remember to sharpen, polish, and pack up the kunai Shino ordered for his class. Is that miso I smell? I am kind of hungry."_

"Ugh this isn't working at all!"

Meditation was always Neji's thing not hers. Whenever she tried, her mind would think about a billion other things.

"Clear your mind, Tenten. It will calm your nerves and allow for greater concentration. Stop fidgeting, Tenten!" She nailed the verbiage, but failed to match Neji's smooth voice. There were only four weeks left until the Anbu test. It kept getting put off until the Hokage's return, but the daiymo decided it should not be prolonged any further. A final date was set and choices would be made, with or without Kakashi.

Tenten's nerves were getting the best of her. She hadn't trained with Genma since that abhorrently hot day a week ago. She decided to suppress all memories of her actions that night at the club to avoid dying from embarrassment. She was a little disappointed when she received a note that he would be busy for the rest of the week making some security changes to prep for the test, but she decided to keep moving forward and train on her own.

She started at her usual training grounds to work on her techniques. Without the challenge of a sparring partner, boredom set in within a few hours. With no other plans for the day, she decided to try the meditation techniques that Neji taught her to steady her chakra. She could feel it flowing evenly throughout her body. Barely two minutes in, a series of random thoughts disrupted her concentration. Her failed attempts at meditating ended within an hour of sitting beneath the shady tree in Team Gai's old training field. There was no point in wasting more time if she couldn't clear her mind in the one place where she felt the most comfort. After a slow, deep breath, Tenten collected her scrolls and headed towards the weapons shop to work on the kunai.

While walking through the village, she could see the outline of the hospital peeking between the tall trees. Knowing how skilled her friend was with her chakra control, Tenten decided to ask Sakura for help. When she walked through the hospital doors, she expected to find a receptionist sitting alone in a quiet waiting room. Instead, she entered into pure chaos. Nurses ran from one room to the next. Based on the screams of pain and occasional curse words, there appeared to be multiple women in labor. The hospital staff declined since there were fewer injured shinobi to look after during peacetime. Several emergencies at once easily turned into all hands on deck. One nurse ran past Tenten, almost knocking her into the wall yelling "All hands needed in room four. We have a breach."

Tenten backed up towards the doors until she heard someone calling her name.

"Tenten? What are you doing here? Are you hurt or sick?" Sakura came sprinting down the hall, heading towards the emergency in room four. She stopped out of concern for her friend.

"No not at all. I came here to talk to you about helping me with my chakra but I can see you're really busy." Tenten let out a nervous laugh. "I have to uh get to the weapons shop. I have a lot of work to do myself. Catch up with me later when you have free time. Good luck!."

Sakura didn't have the time to respond to her question. But she did take fifteen seconds to page Ino letting her know where Tenten would be for the rest of the day.

_Weapons shop. Headed there now. Phase I is a go!_

"Finally!" Ino shouted as she read Sakura's message. "Hey Karou. Please get this delivery out for me today please." Ino batted her eyes at their newest delivery boy. He worshiped Ino and would do whatever she said and she knew exactly how to exploit it.

"I'll do that right away!" He rushed to put the stocking supplies in the back room before gently picking up the ceramic vase. Ino gave herself a mental pat on the back as really out did herself with the arrangement. A delicate balance of light and dark kikyo and ajisai surrounded two red tsubaki flowers. Small leaves and vines created a hue of greens to fill in between them. She didn't expect Tenten to know the meaning of the flowers, but she was hoping she would at least get the hint. Ino couldn't help but smile at herself. She really was an evil, matchmaking genius.

Tenten couldn't get out of the hospital fast enough. Blood and open wounds didn't bother her, but the thought of being in labor freaked her out. When she arrived at the shop, she made her way to the back room, nodding to Jun who was busy with a customer. Tenten loved working at the weapons shop. Although there wasn't as much of a need for mass production, they continued to have a lot of business in custom and rare weapons. She took solace in being surrounded by her collection of rare and unique weapons from around the world.

She carefully placed the two stones in the tub of water to soak. Shino request that each kunai handle be engraved with a custom symbol that his class created together. It was going to be a miraculous gift for their graduation. Expert hands slowly moved the kunai blades at 30 degree angles across the whetstone. The soft knock against the office door did not break her focus as she continued to sharpen the weapons. Jun came in with a small white round vase full pale blue, purple, and red flowers surrounded by a sea of light and dark green leaves.

"This was delivered for you. Looks like someone is really thinking about you." Jun said with a large grin. In some ways, Jun took on a surrogate parent role to her. The old man constantly hounded Tenten about when she would settle down and get married. He sought her out to work in his weapon's store after receiving several tips about her skills and knowledge. Jun never had any kids of his own, and over time he hoped that he could pass the shop on to Tenten once he was ready to retire.

Just like any daughter would, she rolled her eyes and shrugged it off. It wasn't until she was satisfied with the sharpness and polish on the kunai that she looked up from her work. The arrangement was a simplistic beauty and the white vase gave it a classic touch. She was about to read the note attached to the vase when she noticed Jun standing over her in anticipation.

"Uh don't you have a customer?"

"You're no fun, Tenten-chan." he whined with a shake of his head. He knew how stubborn she was so Jun returned to the front of the store; making sure to close the office door behind him.

Before opening the note, she deeply inhaled the soft scent of the arrangement. It was slightly sweet without being overpowering. She was pretty sure this was Ino's work and wondered if Kakashi was bold enough to make the request himself.

_A little something to let you know that I can't stop thinking about you._

The card was a little sappy for Kakashi to have written it himself. She assumed it was a line from one of his books. Nevertheless, it made her smile that he tried to be a bit romantic. Tenten didn't need all of the glitz and fuss like some girls, but it was nice every now and then when he showed her the depth of his feelings.

She couldn't stop smiling while she finished the remaining kunai. Not wanting to face the inquisition, she slipped out the back door to head home. On her way back to her apartment, she waved to each of the merchants of the small shops in the village; all closing up for the evening. The gleam in her smile could be seen from miles away. Such a simple gesture reignited all of the emotions she experienced when she first realized she was in love with Kakashi. An occasional gust of wind would blow and the floral scent would envelope her senses. The smell taking her back to the night they spent in the field of sunflowers on their way back to Konoha. The world around her disappeared while her mind lingered in the memories of that night. She didn't even noticed Sakura waving her hands wildly; desperately trying to get her attention.

"Tenten wait!" Sakura's face was almost the same color as her hair. She placed her hands on her knees while she attempted to catch her breath.

"I wanted to...to apologize for earlier at the hospital. Things went from quiet to crazy in an instant. It's been a very long day."

"It's okay I understand." She subconsciously shifted the flowers from one arm to the other; farther away from where Sakura stood.

"So I was thinking we could talk about making a plan for some chakra training tonight over dinner. We can go to the bbq place near the training grounds. It's my treat for blowing you off earlier."

Tenten thought it over and realized she didn't want another night of instant ramen or take-out. It also wasn't a good idea to be alone tonight; knowing she would not find Kakashi at home to thank him for the flowers. "Sure, what time?"

"Great! Meet me at the entrance at 7." Sakura's grin was so wide and innocent. There was no way Tenten would have known she was being set up for Phase II.

"I gotta get going but I'll see you then." Before Tenten could say anything else, Sakura disappeared.

Tenten thought Sakura was being a little strange; too nice and not nosey enough. She didn't even mention the flowers. She decided it wasn't worth the effort to figure it out and continued on her way home to get cleaned up and changed.

As soon as Tenten was out of sight, Sakura messaged Temari 'dinner is set. You're up.'

Temari still had reservations with getting involved but Ino and Sakura together were a very persuasive duo. Temari grabbed the voucher for dinner for two and made her way to intercept Genma on his way home. She got his work schedule by snooping in Shikamaru's office. She was sure he'd find out but knew he wouldn't bother to ask as it would be too troublesome. That was the easy part. Now she had to convince Genma to take this voucher but not invite anyone else to go with him. She didn't know the jounin well, but she did know that he dated quite a few women from her village in the past; so she assumed he was a ladies man type. That also meant he was good at reading people. She'd just have to keep the story short and simple. Complicated stories were always the easiest to pick apart.

"Genma, right? Izumo said I could find you here. He told me to give you this. He was planning on going with Kotetsu but he got caught up with something at work."

Genma looked puzzled. "Why would Izumo send you?"

Temari tried to look nonchalant so she shrugged. I was in Shikamaru's office when he came looking for Shika. So I guess he figured I'd have to deliver the message instead. You're supposed to meet him at the entrance by 7 and he emphatically said do not be late."

She handed him the voucher then proceeded to walk away. She figured if she just left he wouldn't be able to ask any questions. Questions that she sure wouldn't have the answers to or the skill to make them up. She also hoped that she got the names right that Ino gave her.

It was 6:58 and Tenten was running late. She felt bad, but she lost track of time researching new summoning techniques. By the time she made it to the restaurant, it was 7:15. She didn't see Sakura outside so she decided to ask the hostess inside.

"Oh you must be Tenten. I have a message left for you from Sakura. She said an emergency came up at the hospital and she needs to reschedule. She left right before 7 because she couldn't wait any longer. I'm sorry but we can still seat you if you'd like."

"You got stood up too?"

Tenten spun around to see Genma standing behind her. She hadn't seen him in over a week; since that night at Insight, and she wasn't really sure what to expect. There was an awkward silence until her stomach started to rumble. She quickly wrapped her arms around her offending torso real tight, her face flushed with embarrassment. As if this encounter couldn't be any more uncomfortable.

Genma tried his best to stifle his laughter. He went to the hostess and asked for a place for two.

As soon as they sat down, the waiter came by to take their drink orders. Tenten decided to avoid the awkwardness by pretending to thoroughly read the menu. He didn't know that this was one of her favorite places to eat and she knew exactly what she wanted. Unfortunately, the stalling didn't last long as their waiter was a bit too efficient. They sat there in silence for what felt like hours. She stared at the numerous paintings and trinkets placed on the walls. She couldn't handle the heaviness of the air and decided to address the elephant in the room.

"I never thanked you for walking me home that night. So umm thanks."

"Don't mention it." Genma replied dryly. He would have rather forget that entire night happened. He spent the past week keeping as busy as possible to avoid his mind from wandering. No matter how much he tried, his focus always seemed to shift to how beautiful she was and the way her body moved against his that night. Even in the dimly lit restaurant, his eyes scanned every inch of her face. How had he gone so long without noticing the long lashes that perfectly framed her expressive brown eyes?

"Sorry about not being around much. I've been busy. How is training going?"

Tenten was relieved that he didn't ask questions or make anything weird. She knew that she went a bit too far with drinking and she possibly exposed her relationship with Kakashi. If Genma was offended or even curious, he didn't show it. So she relaxed and tried to engage in the conversation.

Outside the restaurant, Ino and Sakura pretended to hold a casual conversation at the perfect angel to see Tenten and Genma through the large windows. Luckily, both were so engaged with their conversation they did not notice the peepers outside.

"Sakura this is working! Look at Tenten smiling and laughing. I'm pretty sure I am a love genius."

"I wonder how soon there will be a wedding. And babies." Sakura squealed. She couldn't help getting excited over the new love match. "I guess our work here is done."

"No not yet. Now we have to re-enforce this. Right now they think they're having dinner as friends. We need to keep pushing so they see each other as more."

"Whoa whoa slow down Ino. If we push too much they will figure out something is going on and it could blow up in our faces."

"Don't doubt me Sakura. I know what I'm doing. I'm going to head home to plan out Phase III. I'll keep you posted."

By the time Tenten got home, it was later than she expected. The restaurant was close to the training fields on the opposite side of the village from her apartment. Since Genma lived close by, they decided to walk home together. During their walk, Genma told her stories of a young Maito Gai. The adventures their team had as genin and chunin seemed to parallel her experiences with her old team. She was also glad to know that Gai was always unapologetically Gai. Something about his enthusiasm for life was so pure and heartwarming. Lee would have loved to know young Gai.

Although it took nearly an hour, the walk home seemed to last a few minutes. Genma loved making her smile. And her laugh was highly contagious. As they swapped stories of their teams as chunin, it was a bit eerie just how similar to two groups had been. Beyond the physical attraction, there was a bit of chemistry between the two of them. He couldn't remember the last time he had a great conversation that made him laugh and think simultaneously. The more they talked, the more he became intrigued. Genma decided to take a slight risk to test the water. When they reached the entrance to her street, he stopped and gave her a hug before taking off. She didn't exactly wrap her arms around him to hold him closer, but she didn't slap him or push him away, so to him that was a win.

She didn't bother turning on any lights when she entered her apartment. She slipped off her shoes at the door, moved the flowers from the kitchen counter to the on the small table in the living room, and continued to walk towards the bedroom in darkness. Tenten took a detour into the bathroom to toss her shirt and shorts in the dirty clothes basket and brush her teeth. Her eyes closed briefly while she yawned as she walked into her bedroom. It wasn't until she got home that she realized how late it was. Her eyes were barely open as she entered her bedroom. She stopped in her tracks; unable to move when she saw the figure sitting on the edge of the bed. She didn't sense anyone else in the apartment. All sound seemed to stop except for the loud, rapid beating of her heart. Aside from the pale moonlight, it was almost pitch black but she knew exactly who invaded her room.

Chakra infused feet pushed off from tree branch to tree branch. His mind was occupied with scenarios of how he would surprise her when he arrived in Konaha. He first thought about showing up at the weapons shop or at the training field but didn't want to run the risk of someone else seeing him. If he wanted to remain hidden, he'd have to wait until she was home. His body screamed at him to slow down but he had to keep pushing. Traveling throughout the night while leaving a shadow clone at his camp proved to be a bit much on his chakra. Kakashi never had a large reserve of chakra but since he lost the sharingan, he managed to allocate the usage more efficiently. He felt the shadow clone disappear around an hour earlier. He smiled at how angry Raido must have been when he realized Kakashi abandoned his guard detail. He was pleasantly surprised that his clone lasted long enough for him to see the rise of the Konaha gates.

Sneaking in would be the hard part. He drafted some phoney documents stating that he was a traveler from Suna with an approved visitation pass to Konaha for a week. He had just enough chakra to create a hinge for maybe 20 minutes. He disguised himself as 23 year old Kaneshiro Takeshi; traveler and starving artist. The line to pass through the gate was longer than anticipated. With the peace treaty in place among the major countries, Konaha saw a mass increase in tourist; all coming to try and run into the hero of the Fourth Shinobi War. By the time he reached the guards, he was nearing the end of his chakra reserves. Sweat poured from his head as he dug deep to hold the hinge and answer Izumo's questions without appearing suspicious. He barely made it to the nearest bathroom before he had to drop his cover. Fortunate for him, it was dusk and he would be able to sneak back to his apartment without being seen.

He reached the apartment shortly after 7:30. He had to be extremely careful to avoid people, so his movement through the village was slower than he wanted. He expected to see the place in shambles; weapons, scrolls, clothes everywhere. To his surprise, she kept each room relatively clutter free with the exception of a hand full of scrolls she most likely used for training earlier that day. He made his way to the bedroom where he found the stack of all of the letters he sent via his ninken. A full smile graced his face; knowing she kept each letter just as he kept each response. Kakashi was never good with expressing his feelings with words and Tenten knew it. He got the idea to send her a letter each week; drawing inspiration from one of the Icha Icha novels. He quoted passages that he felt best conveyed how he felt about Tenten.

_'Your smile is intoxicating. It lingers, it captivates my heart' - Paradise pg 46_

_'You may not be perfect, you are flawed like all humans. But you are perfect to me and that's all that matters.' -Violence pg 91_

_'Not so long ago I was alone and lost, and then you came along and I was home. Thank you for finding me.' - Innocence pg 223_

_'Are you a camera? Because every time I look at you I want to smile.' - Violence pg 19 _ Kakashi cringed at that one. At the time he thought it was funny and cute but reading it now it was even too awkward for him.

_'Please grow old with me and I promise you that I will be here for you till the end.' - Tactics pg 319_

Somewhere between the sixth and seventh letters, Kakashi dozed off into a deep, dreamless sleep. When he woke, it was dark and quiet in the apartment. The clock read 10:49 pm. From what he could tell, Tenten had not been home so he decided to take a quick shower. Then he waited. First in the living room, noticing the flowers for the first time. Then he made his way back to the kitchen to grab something small to eat. He opted for some fruit over instant ramen. He returned to the bed to lay back down. It was well past midnight when he sensed her chakra outside along with someone else...Genma he realized. He didn't think too much of it as they were probably training late.

When he heard her open the door, his heart rate quickened. He was nervous, very nervous. And he wasn't sure why. The anticipation was killing him. It made it difficult for him to mask his chakra while waiting for her to finish up in the bathroom. Then, there she was, standing in the doorway to the bedroom, yawning and stretching her arms out wearing nothing but her usual bindings and panties. Her hair was in her normal two braids, pulled back into one low ponytail. Although she looked exactly the same way as when he left, he missed the sight of her. His brain wracked with so many words to say to her when she opened her eyes but all that came out was

"Yo."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: My apologies for updating late. I lost track of time. The flower names and meanings I found on a few different websites. There were also other meanings but these were the ones that fit best with the story. This is one of those set up chapters that lack excitement but is necessary for some future events. As always; thanks for reading!**

**I do not own Naruto or the characters.**

Despite how late it was, Genma's mind kept him from falling asleep. He could not help but to think about Tenten. He subconsciously kicked himself for not trying to get to know her when they first started training. He shook his head at his initial reaction to her bowing at him, begging for his help. He thought she was just some naive kid going after an impossible dream. He was glad to be wrong about her. After the night they had, he was certain there was at least some interest in him on her end. The more he thought about their training sessions and their time at dinner, he knew he wanted to learn more. When thinking about their training sessions, he realized she would there wasn't a thing about her he did not like.

Even he was embarrassed by his lack of conversation skills. The look of confusion on Tenten's face was enough to register her thoughts echoed his own.

_All you could come up with is "Yo?" Do better, Kakashi._

He rose from the bed but before he could take a step,Tenten was already in front of him. She jumped into Kakashi's arms; nearly knocking him down onto the bed. With her arms tightly wound around his waist, she planted her face against his chest. In return, Kakashi enveloped her, holding her tight against him while resting his unmasked cheek on the top of her head. The heat of her mostly bare chest radiated through his shirt; warming his own heart. 53 days apart had been hard on them both. In the silence, every wave of emotion transmitted through touch. Her breathing was unsteady as if she struggled to keep herself from crying. When Kakashi pulled away, the world felt cold and the rift between them built by time apart was evident. Even in the pale moonlight, he could see the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Guilt set in for being away and not being able to support her.

"Tenten. I-"

Tenten cut him off with a kiss. Hearing the pain in his voice added to her own guilt. She didn't want to hear his apologies. He was doing his duty for the village. As much as she respected and understood that, it still was difficult not knowing when they would see each other again. Beneath the warm tears making trails down her cheeks, she kissed him hard to welcome him home. She returned her body as close to him as she could as his tongue slipped in between her lips. She could barely breathe but didn't want to stop for fear this was just another dream that would soon end. Kakashi pulled away again this time to catch his breath. Their hearts pounded so hard it was all they could hear. They stood there for what felt like hours gazing into each other's eyes as if it was the first time. She smiled again and moved her arms around his neck, intending to pull him back in for another kiss. But Kakashi had much more in mind.

He lifted her up by her hips and gently placed her on the bed. Tenten couldn't stifle the giggle that escaped when his hands brushed her bare skin while he unwrapped her chest bindings. She felt like a dumb teenage girl again; giddy with anticipation of receiving the touch she desired for so long. Kakashi leaned down to kiss her before moving down to her neck and collarbone. He noticed the necklace with the engagement ring on it. He traced the chain with his finger before he yanked it off her neck. Without breaking eye contact, Kakashi slipped the ring back on her finger where it belonged. She looked at her hand; amazed by how such a small gesture could hold so much meaning.

Kakashi hovered on top of Tenten and continued kissing down her neck and around her chest. He didn't want to miss a single inch of her. His left hand traced circles around her left breast while his tongue flicked across her right nipple. Tenten's breathing grew heavier with each touch. The hardening of her nipples and the involuntary upward thrusting of her hips gave him approval to keep going. His left hand now massaging one breast while he suckled and kissed the other. He then switched so each side of her received the same level of attention. When he felt satisfied, his kisses moved down her stomach and across her navel. The giggles returned when he kisses across her left hip. Kakashi remembered she was ticklish along the scare she received during her genin days, so he continued his teasing. He loved her laugh. It was almost as intoxicating as her moans.

If this was any normal night, he would playfully torture her with tickles on and off all night. But in this moment, they both required a deeper, more sensual level of intimacy. He traced the hem of her red and white striped panties with his index he gently rubbed her over her panties, watching her hips involuntarily rise up to meet his touch.

Tenten moaned breathlessly; pleading for him to go further. He knew what she wanted but he wasn't there yet. He wanted to take his time with her. Kakashi intended to make up for every day they were apart.

She couldn't take much more. All coherent thoughts ceased with everything Kakashi did to her body; she couldn't think. Chills spread through her like shock waves of electricity. She couldn't remember a time where she felt such elation while her body spasmed. The world spun but she never wanted it to stop. Her muscles sore from tightening, then releasing, and repeating. At some point she switched from holding Kakashi's hair to the fitted cotton sheets; pulling them from their security under the edge of the mattress. Her chest was heavy and the air humid and thick causing her to cough uncontrollably. It was difficult to breathe. Every sensation slowly built up inside her waiting for release. It was as exhilarating as their very first time. Kakashi's eyes never left her face. The soft moonlight cascaded diagonally across her causing an ethereal glow. As they made love he couldn't help wonder what he did in his life to deserve such a perfect person and this perfect moment.

They spent the next day locked in their apartment. Genma sent Tenten another message that he was busy with work so she was off the hook for training. Kakashi assumed Genma was out searching for him per protocol which meant everything was going according to plan. He was supposed to return to the village anyway; he just made it before his security detail without telling anyone. He fully intended to show up at some point to his office tomorrow morning for the debrief of his trip. For now, he wanted to spend one day giving his full attention to Tenten. It's not only what she needed but what she deserved.

Around mid morning, they decided to leave the bedroom for breakfast. Wearing nothing but Kakashi's t-shirt, Tenten sat on the floor in the living room while Kakashi grilled the fish to eat with their miso and veggies. She inhaled deeply taking in the scent of perfectly grilled food and busied herself by admiring the colorful floral arrangement. Kakashi never took her for the flowers type but he would admit they added a brightness to her smile whenever she noticed them.

"Thank you by the way. I was really surprised when I got these. I never expected anything like this from you."

Kakashi was genuinely confused but he kept his facial features stoic as usual. If he wasn't the one who sent them to Tenten, who did and why? Should he tell her it wasn't him? No. It risked him looking as if he doesn't know her as well as someone else. But he didn't want to lie to her either. He decided the best action was no action at all. He'd figure out the mystery of the surprise flowers later.

"Coming from the Yamanaka shop too. I was really surprised you'd risk Ino finding out about us. Unless you didn't talk to Ino…Ah well, it doesn't matter. They're still beautiful. I sent Ino a message asking her about them. She told me the meaning of each flower. Did you pick these flowers yourself?"

She caught him off guard with the question. He didn't think he would have to create an elaborate lie to cover up his ineptness as her boyfriend. Now he had to answer her, but at least he could be partially honest.

"Umm Kakashi? You can set the plates down so we can eat."

"Huh. Oh! Sorry." He placed the steaming plate of fish, veggies, and rice next to her bowl of took a mouthful of rice to stall while he thought of an excuse.

"No I didn't. What do they mean?" Keep it simple. It wasn't exactly a lie so his conscious remained clear.

"Oh well, the red ones are tsubaki and it means love. The flat bluish ones are kikyou which symbolizes endless love and honesty. And these round flowery bluish ones are ajisai to symbolize heartfelt emotions. Whatever you told them, they really conveyed it with the flowers. I love them and I love you."

This time, Kakashi's confusion was visible on his face. He turned away from her; his chewing slowed almost to a grinding halt. Not only did he not realize that she desired these types of displays of affection, but there was someone who does know this about her. The bigger problem was that this someone was ready to display romantic feelings towards her. Lucky for Kakashi, this secret admirer was too scared to reveal himself for the time being. He instantly started to deduce what happened while he was away and who it happened with. He continued to chew his food painfully slowly; using the silence while they ate as the perfect time to put together the puzzle of the love bouquet he did not send to his future wife. Kakashi started making a short list of suspects.

Naruto and Sai were automatically disqualified given their current relationships. The same goes for Shikamaru for his "secret" relationship with Temari that everyone pretends not to know about. Choji has been hanging around a lot with a kunoichi from Kumo and Shino seems to be uninterested in dating in general.

The obvious would be Lee. Lee may not have been smooth or good with the girls as a youth, but he has grown into a unique and charming young man. Still, Kakashi couldn't fathom some sort of budding relationship between the two long time friends and teammates at this point. They would have gotten together much sooner; probably shortly after the war as grief usually brings people together. Also the idea of Lee being able to pick out such beautiful and meaningful flowers and create a plan to have them delivered as a secret admirer seemed a little too organized for him. Lee typically took more of a direct approach and assumed everyone would love practical gifts that he would also love. This is the same guy who buys Tenten a new set of ankle weights every year for her birthday.

There was also Kiba. Kakashi recalled possibly over hearing Kiba and Tamaki breaking up while he was taking a break near the training fields. Being on the rebound, it would make sense for him to set his eyes on someone else. Kiba may appear a bit rough and hyperactive, but beneath the surface is a good man who is extremely loyal and a bit of a romantic. The flowers would be right up his alley. He probably had Hinata help him pick out the flowers. The problem was Kiba has his suspicions about their relationship and he wouldn't go after someone who was taken.

He couldn't rule out a civilian but that would be more difficult to narrow down. She spent a lot of time working at the weapons shop so perhaps she met someone there. Jun would certainly know since he took a huge interest in Tenten's personal life. It may be borderline creepy but Jun was more father figure and he never crossed the line.

"Hey Kakashi. Is something wrong?"

"Huh? No. Why?"

"It's just, I've been talking to you but you have this strained look on your face. Almost like you're deep in thought about something upsetting. Is everything okay?"

"Sorry sorry. Everything is fine. You have my complete attention." He felt a tinge of guilt knowing that she was so concerned with his well being while his mind was laser focused on finding out more about the flower sender. He only had today with her before he would need to make his arrival known and resume his hokage duties. With so much time spent apart, he owed it to her to get out of his own head.

He picked at his fish with his chopsticks to continue eating dispite suddenly lacking an appetite. "Is there anything you'd like to do today?"

She noticed the abrupt change in topic but decided it wasn't worth pushing the issue. She originally planned to spend the day with Genma; half training half relaxing. Now that Kakashi was home, she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before he got back to work.

"Well. You could help me train."

"Indoors? I don't think I want to redecorate with shuriken all over the walls."

Tenten rolled her eyes before picking up their empty plates and taking them to the kitchen.

"I mean, I still haven't really prepared for the genjutsu part. I'm actually kinda nervous about it. I've tried meditating several times but I couldn't focus. Since you've gone through something similar before I was hoping maybe…"

Kakashi grabbed the freshly washed plate from her hand, dried it, and put it back in the cabinet. He didn't reply right away. He was unsettled from the moment she expressed how much she wanted to join ANBU. He never talked to her about his time in ANBU. It wasn't really something he could easily discuss. He knew he couldn't avoid it forever but he didn't want to spoil their day together talking about one of the darkest times of his life.

"It's okay if you don't want to. You had a long trip just to get back so soon. And we haven't seen each other for so long, so maybe we should just do-"

"Move the table and the futon back against the wall. We'll need more open space. And change. I'll finish up the dishes."

They never made eye contact but he knew the smile on her face stretched from ear to ear. It didn't take her long to change into black spandex shorts and an oversized t-shirt. Kakashi pretended to clean the counters while he watched her move furniture. Long, toned legs flexing as she used her body weight as leverage to push the futon against the wall. His eyes locked on her butt when she bent over to move the small table. He forgot all about flowers, cleaning, training, and ANBU while he fixated on her body.

"I think the counter is clean now, Lord Kakashi" The sly smile and teasing tone indicated he was caught staring her down. It didn't matter. He enjoyed the view every time and wasn't ashamed about it.

Kakashi closed all of the curtains to make the room as dark as possible. They sat on the floor facing on another; legs crossed and her eyes closed.

"The interrogation is going to be the toughest part to pass. You'll be placed under a genjutsu before it begins. You won't be able to break it, but you'll need to learn to adapt to be able to answer their questions. It requires great control of your chakra or you will lose yourself."

His intention was not to scare her, but she needed to understand the brevity of this situation. Before she had a chance to respond, he activated the genjutsu.

"I'll be fine. When do we start?" Within a blink, Kakashi disappeared. Everything else in the apartment appeared the same, but Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

"Kakashi? Ugh don't tell me you replaced yourself with a clone and disappeared again." She checked the bedroom; expecting to catch him sleeping or reading. But he wasn't there. She sighed, crossed her arms, and returned back to the living room; visibly annoyed.

"Some boyfriend you are. Couldn't be bothered for anything other than reading smut books or having sex." she said through grinding teeth.

"Come on, Kakashi! You promised to hel-"

She never sensed him behind her. There was no pain, only the feeling of warm blood rushing from the thin slit across her throat like a waterfall. She wanted to scream but nothing would come out. Her hands wrapped around her neck, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Panic took over all of her senses. The loss of blood was too much too fast. But it was the shock of his emotionless dark eyes boring into her that brought her to her knees. Her body shuddered. Tenten curled into a ball at the feet of her offender to warm herself. She was so cold, tired, and confused. She decided if she closed her eyes she would wake up from this horrible dream. So she allowed herself to slip into the darkness.

"That didn't go well at all. Just breathe."

Tenten took a sharp, deep breath. She could feel her erratic heartbeat in her temples.

"Huh? Wh-what happened? When did you cast the genjutsu?" Her hands instinctively travelled to her neck, rubbing gently a wound her mind expected to be there.

Kakashi sighed. If she didn't even feel the difference in her chakra it was going to be nearly impossible for her to survive the interrogation.

"The moment you sat down. Did you sense anything? Did anything inside you feel different?"

She sat there; eyes cast down staring blankly at her crossed legs. She never even moved from her spot. A side glance at her watch told her only three minutes had passed but in her mind, it was at least an hour. She never noticed any changes. She could even be in the genjutsu right now. Her eyes stung with the threat of tears stemming from the disappointment in herself.

"Again."

"Huh?" Although she whispered her response, he heard her clearly. Given how stubborn she could be, it was the response he should have expected.

"Do it again."

He was hesitant. She only came out of the last one when he chose to end it. But he also knew how stubbornly determined she was. It was one of the many things he loved about her.

A kunai through her heart.

Neck broken.

Suffocated.

Arm severed.

Poison.

With the poison she stopped breathing before he could release the genjutsu. Watching her struggle for air pained him and he couldn't continue. She reached her limit; whether she would admit it or not.

"That's enough for today, Tenten."

"No. I can keep going. I just need a minute." Her bangs were damp from sweat. After the third round, she tore her t-shirt; it's tattered remains hung from her shoulders.

"This isn't like training with Gai!" Kakashi rarely raised his voice in anger, but his patience ran out.

"You could die, Tenten."

She barely heard him but she understood why he exploded. Although Gai would push their physical limits and taught them to fight through the pain, this training was different. Fighting through the pain would lead to more than just blisters, scrapes, and sore muscles. The burning in her lungs, the visible bruises on her neck from injuries that only occured in her mind warned her to be more careful.

She tried to stand up on her own but Kakashi wouldn't allow it. He picked her up and gently walked towards the bedroom. Tenten rested her head against his shoulder; too tired to protest.

"You rest for a bit." He pulled up the beige covers up to her neck and kissed her forehead.

Tenten slept hard but was plagued by dreams replaying each 'death' she experienced. She woke up around dusk, the smell of food luring her out of the comfortable bed and towards the kitchen. She leaned against the door frame of the bedroom where she had full view of the kitchen. As expected, Kakashi stood at the stove, finishing up preparing dinner. He was a creature of habit who grew up on a steady schedule for cooking meals. When she first moved in, he never gave her the opportunity to cook. It took several months before he eased into a new routine that included her helping out around the house. Whomever came home first would make the meal. More often than not, it was Tenten but she didn't mind. Now it felt odd having him here. Because of his extended trip, she started to forget what living together was like.

She grabbed a piece of paper off of the nightstand. She crafted the paper into a tight ball as quietly as possible, never taking her eyes off Kakashi's movements in the kitchen. An evil grin crept on Tenten's face the moment Kakashi's back faced her. She quickly threw the paper ball with precision, hitting her target right in the back of the head. And then he disappeared in a poof of smoke. The plates he held in his hand simultaneously clattered onto the floor.

From the futon, Kakashi sighed and clicked his teeth. "You're going to have to clean all that up yourself."

"Can you get any lazier? A shadow clone to cook now? Geez." She cleaned up the broken dishes while Kakashi peered from the top of his book.

"Even the hokage needs to continue to train. This is just how I make sure to keep up my skills."

"Speaking of training. I want to try again."

"Tonight?"

"Tonight."

He considered it for a few moments. "No."

"Huh? Why not?"

"You're not ready. I went extremely easy on you only showing you mildly upsetting images and you didn't make it through. You need to recover. Mental exhaustion takes longer to come back from. We'll try again in a few days."

Tenten always hated how blunt he could be, especially when it came to her abilities as a shinobi. She knew he was trying to help, but his words always seemed so cold and clinical. It was the complete opposite of the constant flow of encouragement she received from Gai.

They ate together in silence; Tenten sullen from Kakashi's words and Kakashi oblivious to everything. No amount of sighs or crossed arms registered with him. It was amazing how someone so observant in his profession could also be so clueless about social interactions.

He knew she was bothered by his comments. But he was right and she would eventually see it that way. Still, he hated seeing the scowl on her face, especially when he was the cause. In typical Kakashi fashion, he decided a change in topic was necessary to clear the tension in the air.

"Tomorrow morning I have to meet with the daimyo about us."

"Us? What do you mean?"

"I have to tell them about us before the exams begin. There's a possibility they'll ask me not to participate because of our relationship."

"As if you'd show any preferential treatment anyways." Her voice was low, but the sarcasm wasn't missed.

"No. I wouldn't. And you wouldn't want me to either. What's the point of all of this work if you could just cheat your way in? That's not you."

Again, Kakashi was right. She could never accept the position if she didn't earn it fairly.

"Okay so what does this mean? We can tell the others too? Finally, we can do things in the open like a normal couple."

"Yeah okay okay. If that's what you want." As the words left his mouth, Kakashi knew he made a mistake. He didn't want to sound dismissive but he liked things the way they were now. It would complicate things by making their relationship known to everyone.

"What I meant was-"

The door to their bedroom slammed shut before he could finish his sentence. Kakashi stared at the closed door from his place at the table; wondering what to do next. He decided it was best to settle this now before it got worse. This was one argument he would not be able to avoid.

"Tenten?" He softly knocked on the door, hoping she would respond. He could hear movement in the room, but she said nothing. He raised his fist to knock again when the door flung open. Tenten shoved a blanket and pillow into his face and slammed the door again; this time locking it behind her. It wouldn't take a genius to understand that any hope for reconciliation would have to wait until the next day.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Another set up chapter. I would say I'm sorry but all this is necessary for all the other shenanigans. This is going to be slower paced than Promises. Anyway, I don't own Nartuo, etc. etc. etc. Thanks for reading!**

It's pretty standard for a ninja to need to escape undetected; often through a back window or door. Tenten never expected she needed these skills to avoid her boyfriend in their own home. Unfortunately for Tenten, her bag containing her training supplies was in the closet next to the front door. It was still dark outside when she gave up on sleep and decided to leave for training. She dressed quickly, using only the dim light provided by the slowly rising sun. Pressed against the closed bedroom door, Tenten held her breath while she waited for any signs of Kakashi being awake. After about a minute of silence, she opened the door just enough to peer through without being noticed. She could see Kakashi's still form on the futon covered by the blanket she threw at him the night before.

Satisfied that he was sound asleep, Tenten crept out of the room, leaving the bedroom door ajar so she wouldn't create any necessary noise. She made her way into the bathroom where she carefully closed the door before turning on the lights. She wanted to shower but knew he would wake up at the sound of running water, so she grabbed a washcloth and held it directly under the facet before turning on the water. She was careful to make sure no water touched the sink. After quickly wiping down her body and using the same method with the water to brush her teeth, she left the bathroom the same way she left their bedroom. After grabbing her bag, she peered over her shoulder at Kakashi one last time before making a quick and silent exit through the front door. As she walked down the steps, Tenten let out the deep breath she held since she left the bathroom.

She left so early that she had more than enough time to grab a snack at a food stall in the village. She also planned to stop by the weapons shop to pick up the finished kunai that still needed to be delivered to Shino. While walking through the village, eating her okonomiyaki, she noticed Sakura and Ino standing outside of the flower shop. She had no intention of stopping for chit chat. She waved and nodded, but quickened her pace as she walked past them. She just wasn't in the mood and she wasn't sure if she could fake happiness at the moment. Ino, as usual, either didn't pick up the hint or didn't care.

"Tenten. Wait!. Quick come here. Why are you walking so fast? It's important."

Tenten begrudgingly turned around and walked towards the two girls. She took a deep breath before putting on a very convincing smile.

"Hi Ino. Sakura. What's going on?" She took another bite of her food fully expecting another one of Ino's rants that she usually zones out on.

"You're just in time for my important announcement." As dramatic as ever, Ino didn't continue; waiting for one of them to show any type of interest. Sakura did not disappoint.

"Well, what is it, Ino? I need to get to the hospital and I don't have all day to play guessing games."

Feigning being offended, Ino cleared her throat and clasped her hands behind her back. "Now I'm thinking whether I should even show you this!"

She put her left hand up in the air directly in front of Sakura and Tenten. On her ring finger was a gold band with a single camellia made out of red gems. The ring was simple, yet beautifully crafted and perfect for Ino. Ino couldn't suppress her excitement for too long and she started jumping and squealing with Sakura.

"Sai finally proposed! It's about time. I'm so happy for you, Ino." the two girls hugged each other and continued to jump for joy. Tenten took a few steps back to avoid being sucked into their tornado of hugs. She was happy for Ino, but at the same time, wanted to escape from this celebration as soon as possible.

"Hey Ino. Congratulations. Your ring is beautiful. I'm really happy for you." She hoped she sounded convincing enough. And even if she didn't, Ino wouldn't notice. She was too wrapped up in her own happiness to notice Tenten's indifference.

"So I'm almost finished planning our engagement party and you both need to be there. I should have official invitations by the end of the week…"

Ino kept talking, describing every detail of the night Sai proposed. Sakura was feeding into it, but Tenten was uninterested. She kept looking for a time to jump into the conversation to excuse herself, but when Ino started a story it was hard to stop her.

"...and it's not like Sai hasn't taken me flying around the village before but I just knew this would be different. I'm actually glad I had a chance to redo my hair and makeup before our date because I can't imagine looking terrible during the proposal…"

When Ino took a breath, Tenten saw her opportunity. "Ino, you always look great and I'm sure Sai feels the same. I'm sorry I am going to be late. Fill me in on the rest of the details later, okay? Congratulations again!" She gave Ino a hug so quick it was more like a pat on the back before taking off towards the weapons shop.

Sakura and Ino exchanged confused glances.

"Did she just suddenly bail? I didn't even get to the good part of my story."

"Something seems off with her this morning. She's probably tired and stressed about getting into ANBU. You know she's happy for you."

"Hm or is she jealous that she doesn't have anyone. I was so caught up in wedding details that I haven't really worked on getting them together."

"Maybe they just weren't meant to be. And you can't rush love. Sometimes you have to work at it for a long time. Not everyone is like you and Sai."

Ino picked up on the sad undertone of Sakura's voice. "Yeah but in the end, the guy knows what's in his heart and he won't disappoint you. I mean Tenten! Genma won't disappoint Tenten. I wasn't referring to you and Sasuke."

Sakura shot Ino a look warning her to back off. "So anyway maybe I'll plan something for my engagement party that will bring them together. I think that will really make her happy. Plus then all of my closest friends will be in relationships and we can do couples things together. So anyway back to my story…"

Kakashi kept his eyes shut until she closed and locked the front door. He was a little hurt by the fact that she went through such great lengths to avoid him. He knew he said the wrong things to her, but he didn't think it was so bad that she would continue to be mad in the morning. He was being honest. Sure, maybe a little too blunt but it was better than lying. He hoped that letting out her aggression during training will put her in a better mood tonight. He did not want to spend another night on the uncomfortable futon.

Kakashi cleaned up the living room, showered, and dressed quickly. He wanted to leave early to see the daiymo before his debriefing in his office. Since he decided to oblige Tenten's desire to avoid one another, he was running slightly behind schedule. Kakashi made it a habit to be late for most things, but this was not one of them. He made it to the temple with less than two minutes to spare.

He was greeted by two of the daiymo's personal guards. Without exchanging words, Kakashi followed them. It was a short walk to the large copper-colored temple doors. After speaking in hushed voices to his escorts, another guard proceeded to open one of the double doors that led to the meeting chambers of the daiymo. Once inside, they continued down a narrow hallway, dimly lit by the line of candles on each side of the wall. Shadows of the three stretched down the length of the hallway. Kakashi had been here once before but this felt more ominous than he remembered. The guards opened yet another large set of double doors into the meeting room. Kakashi walked in alone with the guards closing the doors behind him.

The daiymo sat upon his oversized and ornate chair on a raised platform. Despite the illusion created, the daiymo's small stature was noticeable. Kakashi wore a smirk underneath his mask when he noticed the daiymo's over compensation for his size. Even though he is powerful, without his title he is just a small, insecure man. When he reached the bottom of the platform, Kakashi bowed and thanked him for seeing him with such short notice.

"My time is valuable so let's not waste any more of it. What is it that you need, Hatake Kakashi?"

"It's about the upcoming ANBU tests. I may have a slight problem."

"Oh? What kind of problem? We are not changing the date again. It is long overdue. We may be in times of peace but that will only last for so long. I need new recruits that are strong and properly trained."

The lack of patience was apparent in his voice and this attitude started to irritate Kakashi. The smirk he had when he entered the chamber was replaced by an emotionless glare.

"No. The testing date is fine. The problem is...well. One of the applicants...There may be a conflict of interest involved. I need to make you aware before the testing begins." Kakashi didn't rehearse what he needed to say to the daiymo. He didn't think he would be nervous to tell him about his relationship. But something about saying the words out loud to another person made him hesitate. Perhaps this was not the best course of action.

"I'm listening." the daiymo now openly showing he was annoyed with Kakashi. He didn't expect him to use stalling tactics, especially when it was him who called the meeting.

"Right well. I'm involved with one of the applicants. I can assess her fairly with all the others, but I do not want anyone to get the idea that there was any possibility of unfairness."

"So you want to remove yourself from the selection process. That seems to be a pretty just reason. I'll allow you to attend the tests but you will have no say in the selection. If there is a dispute on any candidate, I will make the final judgement. This will be passed along to the others immediately. Is that all?"

"Yes. Thank you." Kakashi bowed and turned to leave.

"How serious is this…. involvement?"

Kakashi stopped mid-stride; surprised by the very personal question. He slowly turned around, rubbing the back of his neck as he often did when he was at a loss for words.

"Is this just some silly fling you had with one of your students or something more?"

"She's never been one of my students." He snapped back. Kakashi purposefully dodged the second question. He didn't think the details of his love life were the daiymo's or anyone else's business.

"Fine. It doesn't matter to me at the moment who she is. What is important are you intentions with her."

"Why?"

"You're still the hokage and there are rules. Should you choose to do the honorable thing and marry this girl, she'll be removed from active service."

This was the first Kakashi heard of such a rule. He was floored and confused. "I don't see how my position should affect her ability to do her job as a shinobi. If it is a matter of missions, then that is not an issue as I already have Shikamaru scheduling all missions -"

"That isn't the purpose of the rule. After the Fourth and Kushina died saving Naruto, I enacted a law to prevent any wife of the hokage from remaining in active service. The wife should focus on the household and raising the family."

"That doesn't make any sense. The circumstances surrounding their deaths had nothing to do with whether Kushina was an active kunoichi." Kakashi could feel his temper rising. The daiymo was being unreasonable.

"Regardless of your feelings, it is the current rule and I will have it enforced. You will need to be the one to evaluate your future with this girl. And I changed my mind, you must disclose her identity at the conclusion of the test. I do not want your relationship affecting the selection process."

"What? We aren't married. Why does it matter who she is?"

"My decision is made and as the hokage of my village, I expect you to comply. Remember, Kakashi, I am the daiymo and my responsibilities span all of the Fire Country; not just Konoha. That's all I have time for and I'm pretty certain you have more pressing matters to attend to."

Two guards appeared at Kakashi's side to escort him out of the temple. Kakshi was furious. The rule was not based on logic or reason and his wanting to know about Tenten was just his way to to flex is power. But Kakashi didn't have any grounds to fight it. On his walk to the Hokage Tower, he worried about what he should tell Tenten. He did not want her to give up her career. Being a ninja is too important to her. He wasn't entirely sure she would choose him over ANBU. If Naruto was ready to take over, this wouldn't even be an issue. But he still had a lot of maturing to do before he can be trusted as hokage.

Kakashi sat at his desk with three towers of papers that required his review and signature. His eyes may have been looking at the words, but his mind was laser focused on this new issue. The daiymo mentioned the role of the wife of the hokage. Kakashi could not see Tenten being happy in the role of a doting mother and housewife. They never even discussed having children. Kakashi wasn't sure how he felt about the topic let alone Tenten's thoughts. Maybe it is something she wanted but would she want it with him?

The loud thud of another stack of papers dropped in front of him brought Kakashi back to the present. A perturbed Shizune stood on the opposite side of the wall of paperwork with her arms crossed and her left foot tapping furiously.

"Enough daydreaming and get back to work. You know, if you wouldn't have run off from your security this work wouldn't be here. Half of this is you signing off on the overtime for the search for you! Do you know how…"

Kakashi tuned her out and tried his best to focus his thoughts on work and not his love life.

Tenten was relieved that neither Ino nor Sakura followed her or asked any questions. She needed the silence to refocus her thoughts in order to train. She was able to get in and out of the weapons shop before Jin arrived; sparing her another probe into her love life. She didn't want to talk about or hear about love, boyfriends, or husbands. Not while her current relationship was in such an undefined state.

This wasn't the first time Kakashi and Tenten disagreed on things, but it was the first time there was no resolution. She was angry but not really sure what angered her the most. Was it the way he treated her during training? Did he not believe she was strong enough? Or was it because he was still indifferent about making their relationship public? Why did they feel so distant from one another? How long will this last? So many questions muddled her thoughts without any clear or concrete answers.

When she reached the training grounds, Tenten decided to use the extra time to test the weight and balance of each kunai. She sat on the ledge and threw the first kunai into a tree trunk 20 feet away. She continued with each kunai one at a time; forming a perfect line down the tree. She collected the kunai, returned to the ledge and started again aiming at another tree 30 feet away. Ever since she was a genin, she would throw kunai at trees to relax and refocus. Gai gave her the idea to try different patterns to test her skill. It also required more focus to get the angles perfect.

Tenten often found herself concentrating so much on each throw that the rest of the world faded into the background. She didn't notice when Genma arrived. He stood silently a few yards away from Tenten; watching her every move. Her technique and accuracy were impressive. The way she adjusted her grip to accommodate the weight of the kunai, distance, wind speed and direction all within a fraction of a second and often without thought; proved just how skilled she was. If there was a slight miscalculation, she noticed before the kunai reached its destination and would correct it with the chakra string she attached to the hilt with each throw. Training with Tenten always revolved around building up her confidence in her own abilities rather than working on technique.

Genma waited until she threw the last kunai before he made a move. Instead of saying anything to Tenten, he went over to the tree to retrieve the kunai.

"Nice arrow." Genma smiled as he pulled the kunai from the trunk.

"Thanks for helping. I was testing these before giving them to Shino later. It's for his class that's graduating from the academy tomorrow."

"It's sad. The quality of the craftsmanship of these kunai will go to waste on a bunch of genin. Let's hope they take good care of these."

Genma noticed the flash of a smile as she wiped each blade with a polishing cloth before carefully placing the kunai back into their perspective boxes and sealing them in her scroll. She worked quickly and methodically. It took her almost no time to have all 17 kunai safely sealed away.

"Regular, full out spar?" Not waiting for an answer, Genma started his warm up stretches.

"Actually. I was wondering if you could help me with something else." Tenten's voice trailed off with each word. Feeling embarrassed to even ask, she suddenly became very timid.

Genma noticed this shift in her behavior. He thought they broke through this phase months ago. It peaked his curiosity of what possible request she could have that would make her nervous to ask. A part of him hoped it had nothing to do with training and everything to do with going out somewhere together. But she was hard to read. Genma closed the distance between them and stood directly in front of her. She wouldn't look him in the eyes, so he gently grabbed her chin to tilt her head up away from the ground.

He didn't say a word, and the intensity of his gaze gave Tenten chills; but not in a bad way. She swallowed hard. Her heart rate increased. And her mouth was as dry as a desert. She tried to speak; she wanted to say anything but she couldn't remember how to form a sentence. Some sort of energy froze her in place. When he removed his hand from her face, it was as if she was snapped back to reality out of a lucid dream. Genma took a step back and crossed his arms. The intensity disappeared and turned into something Tenten could only describe as apathy. It was similar to the way Kakashi looked at most people. She hated that look more than anything.

"I need to learn how to handle genjutsu. For the test I mean. I tried before and well...I…" She hung her head down again, ashamed at her performance with Kakashi.

"What do you know about genjutsu?"

"Huh?" She snapped her head up, puzzled by his question. "I mean I have a general understanding that it can alter your perception of reality. But I've never cast one before."

Genma sat on the ground, crossing his legs beneath him. He motioned for Tenten to do the same directly across from him. He held out his hands, palms facing upwards. She looked at him with one eyebrow raised, then placed both hands in his.

"Do you trust me?" The way Genma asked made Tenten wonder if there wasn't a hidden meaning to this question. She looked directly into his eyes to gain any sort of clue of what he wanted. Genma slowly rubbed his thumbs back and forth along the length of her hands and asked again.

"Tenten. Do you trust me?"

She nodded. It felt like she returned to that same dream.

"Close your eyes. Do not open them until I say so." She nodded again and closed her eyes.

It was only a few moments before Genma sighed and instructed her to open her eyes. He simultaneously let go of her hands and crossed his arms again.

"You have no awareness of foreign chakra invading your body unless you visually see it happening."

Tenten cocked her head to the side the way a confused puppy does when it's owner talks to it. "I don't understand. Did something happen?"

Genma took her hands in his again. She started to close her eyes but he stopped her.

"Don't close your eyes. I want you to watch your hands."

Genma started feeding chakra through his hands into hers. Tenten felt the warm wave of pressure massaging the chakra points in her palms as his chakra flowed through her. It felt soothing, like whenever she received treatment with medical ninjutsu. When he stopped the flow, the warmth left her hands but she could still feel his chakra within her body, traveling throughout her own chakra points.

"I did the exact same thing when you had your eyes closed. You didn't say anything so I assumed you didn't feel it. Am I right?"

"I didn't feel anything the first time. What does this mean?"

"The basics of genjutsu, especially for a non-dojutsu user, is chakra flow. Those most skilled at genjutsu can send their chakra to various chakra points within you to manipulate your own chakra into sensing the illusion. Another way is to alter the appearance of an entire area using chakra. This method requires a vast chakra reserve and is often used only when facing multiple opponents. The former will be utilized in the test. Kurenai is still one of the best genjutsu users in Konoha and I don't have the skill or the time to teach you to break her cast. But I can tell you how to survive to pass the test. It'll take a lot of time and patience."

"Okay. I'm ready."

He didn't expect anything less but to dive right in.

"We'll need to start with the basics. Meditating comes first."

"Oh no. Meditating? Really? I - I can't. I've tried so many times and I can't seem to focus. Neji would get frustrated. He thought I wasn't taking it seriously. But it's hard for me to just sit in silence."

She didn't have the luxury of making excuses. "If you want to pass this test, then you're going to have to do what I say. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Listen to the sounds around you. Choose one of them and focus on just that sound."

He should have known Gai would only train his team towards their strengths and ignore their weaknesses. It was safe to assume that Tenten has made it as far as she has because of Neji's influence. They really were a well balanced team, but individually there was a lot of work still needed. Meditation was the easiest and fastest way to settle her chakra. Only then would she be able to sense an invading chakra before the genjutsu was activated.

Tenten reluctantly closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the woods. There were birds, leaves rustling, the soft howl of the wind, and a ton of thoughts going through her head. She'd been through this so many times with Neji so she was skeptical from the start. But she tried to focus on a single sound. She chose to pinpoint the swirling winds around her.

"Try to visualize the sound of your focus. Don't forget to breathe."

Visualize the sound? All that came to mind were comic-like drawings of swirls in the air. She almost giggled, but caught herself before completely breaking her concentration.

"Stop." His sigh was more exaggerated than before. Tenten opened her eyes to find an obviously perturbed Genma. "You have to take this seriously. Stay focused and try again."

She winced at the disappointment evident in his tone. It was a feeling Tenten was all too familiar with; being scolded every time she attempted to meditate with Neji. Tenten closed her eyes again and listened for the wind. She was determined to prove to Genma that she could do this; that she was better than this. _Relax Tenten. Just focus on the wind._ Over and over she repeated this mantra but it wasn't working. Her focus kept fluctuating and she was getting frustrated. After several minutes a different sound caught her attention. It was a familiar sound; but one that she could not pinpoint. The steady rhythm was comforting to her and brought her a sort of peace that she did not feel before. She started to forget about the sound of the wind, the ANBU exam, Kakashi, everything. There was nothing but her and the rhythmic sound.

Genma watched her struggle to clear her mind. He thought giving her a medium such as a sound to focus on would help, but it only caused more inner turmoil. As he watched her, he thought back to when he saw her throwing the kunai earlier. It was the most at ease he's seen her. Genma got the idea that if he could replicate the sound, it may trigger the same feeling within her.

He took out his kunai and proceeded to throw it into the top of a stump. He pulled it from the stump and repeated this in a rhythmic fashion. It took her some time to notice, but once she did, he could sense her chakra settling. As she became more calm, Genma would make the intervals between throws longer until he stopped all together. He remained perfectly still and observed her movements. He couldn't help but smile. _This must be what it feels like to have your own genin and to help them grow._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: For my readers and reviewers, thank you for your support. It's what keeps me going. I know some of you are worried about the direction the relationships are going. I won't spoil what I have in mind, but please bare with me through this journey. **

**I do not own Naruto or it's characters, but the plot is all mine. **

Somehow he managed to finish all of the paperwork, attend the debrief from his trip, and finalized the plans for the ANBU exams early enough that he could make it home for dinner. When he walked through his apartment door, Kakashi expected to find Tenten already at the table or maybe in the kitchen. He was hopeful that she cooled off and things could get back to normal; or at least back to normal for them. Instead, Kakashi entered a dark and empty apartment. He assumed she hadn't returned home since her training bag was not in the closet. Even when she was angry with him, she wouldn't hold it against him for long and she always came home for dinner.

Kakashi couldn't help but to think the worst. She had to be with her admirer. Maybe there was more going on than he realized and this relationship was mutual. Kakashi thought himself to be great at analyzing situations but it was hard to be observant when you're traveling or stuck in an office all of the time. With all of his duties as hokage, he didn't even think about trying to find out more about the flower sender. He paced back and forth in front of the door before grabbing the door knob and yanking the door open. He didn't know where to look but he was determined to find her and face this head on.

Tenten paused with her keys in her hand when the door flew open. She was surprised to see Kakashi standing there with a strange expression on his face. She assumed he would have been at the Hokage's office still catching up on work. But there he was, with a mix of concern or exhaustion maybe and a bit of anger all displayed on his half-visible face.

"Yo." His tone was dry and laced with indignation. He tried his best to hide the frustration that was starting to consume him.

"Hey. You're back earlier than I expected." She tried to smile but the air around them was thick with resentment.

They stood there in silence continuing to look at one another. Tenten had no idea what he had been up to but she could tell something was weighing him down. She nudged her way into the apartment and closed the door behind her.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"I was about to ask you the same. It's pretty late. The weapon shop closed hours ago. Where did you go?" Tenten could hear the annoyance in his voice and she immediately turned defensive.

"I had a lot to do today. Not everyone can avoid doing their jobs all the time." She slung her bag into the closet, walked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Tenten couldn't believe he questioned her. Sure she rarely, if ever, stayed out late without reason in the past, but he's also never cared to ask. Why now? What could he possibly think she was doing? She turned on the shower to full heat, stripped down, and waited for the water to warm up. As the steam filled the small bathroom, Tenten's eyes stung with the tears from frustration that threatened to fall. She was at a loss as to what was happening with her relationship and she couldn't begin to fathom how to fix it. She stepped into the shower and let the warm water wash over her; hiding the flow of tears on her face.

Kakashi sighed after she slammed yet another door in his face. She was acting like a moody teenager and he was tired of the drama. The only logical reason for her to be home so late and be defensive about it confirmed his fears. Maybe he was right and there was more to the story behind those flowers. The thought just added fuel to Kakashi's anger. But he also didn't want another night of avoiding each other. He put his head against the bathroom door, closed his eyes, and listened to the running water of the shower. These were not the problems any of the couples faced in books or movies. He knew something had to change or their relationship wouldn't last. Kakashi decided he wasn't going to let this problem continue to fester any longer.

Tenten was too caught in her own emotions to notice a completely naked Kakashi entering the bathroom. She was so startled when he reached for the shower door that she slipped and would have fallen had she not infused chakra into her feet in time. Kakashi wasn't exactly who she wanted to see but a part of her needed him there. She wanted things to go back to the way they were before he left. He used to be the best at making her feel better, even when he was the cause of her grief.

Her shock at his intrusion didn't phase him. Kakashi half expected to be slapped in the face, so he was glad when she didn't offer much resistance. He entered the shower,closed the door and wrapped his arms around her waist as they both stood under running water. His chin rested on the top of her head while he embraced her from behind. He closed his eyes as she leaned back into him. Tenten loved it when he held her like this. She always felt safe in his arms. It's a feeling that she had missed for some time.

"You remembered our first argument." She allowed herself to smile at the memory.

It was shortly after they returned to Konoha from their mission. She mostly recovered from her injuries, but she had follow up treatments scheduled at the hospital and was ordered by Tsunade to take it easy. Kakashi started to treat her like a frail piece of glass that would break with the slightest touch. He would stop by several times a day to make sure she was resting. And if he caught her doing anything other than lounging around at home, he would nag her until she gave in. At first, all of the attention was nice and she didn't mind having Kakashi dote over her. But after four straight days of him watching her every move, Tenten became frustrated. He was overbearing to the point where Tenten snapped.

"It was the first time you almost killed me on purpose. Since we started dating at least."

"I didn't 'almost' kill you." She paused to stifle a chuckle. "I purposefully missed skewering you. It was a warning."

Semantics, Kakashi thought to himself. Either way, he felt the full wrath of her temper that day. He subconsciously rubbed his right shoulder where her kunai nicked his skin. Back then, he didn't know how to make amends. He was still very new to this serious relationship thing. He thought about just apologizing but he didn't know why he would apologize. He wasn't sorry; he only wanted to take care of her because he cared. He couldn't stand to see her hurt. So he followed his guide to love, Icha Icha Paradise, and decided to use the move Koibito used with Bijin after their first fight. Koibito snuck into the shower and showed Bijin just how much he loved her.

"I'm just glad you don't carry weapons into the shower. Hm, wait. Do you?"

"I should probably start." She may have been joking but, there was a bit of truth hidden in her quip.

Kakashi hadn't changed much in the past two years since the first time he tried this move. He was still socially inept in many ways and everything he knows about romantic relationships comes from raunchy romance novels. Tenten hoped he would have learned more about her and what she needed from him by now.

"For someone so observant and intelligent, you can be really clueless. You made me feel helpless. Like I wasn't able to take care of myself. I was so used to doing everything on my own and you took that away from me." There was a long pause before she was able to continue.

"Or at least that's how I feel sometimes. I'm never good enough. Like you don't think I'm capable of surviving without you. I don't know if an impromptu shower will make all those feelings go away this time."

The switch from past to present tense wasn't missed but he didn't know how to respond. He never intended to make her feel that way. And he never realized that she valued his opinion of her so greatly. She always seemed so self assured and confident. The type of girl who knew what she wanted and how to get it. If anything, she sometimes intimidated him. Between the two of them, Kakashi was the one who should feel inferior. To learn that she's been holding all of these insecurities inside was upsetting. How did he miss all of this?

He tightened his grip around her and kissed her three times on the top of her head.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way." His voice was so low, the sound of the rushing water almost masked it completely.

Tenten didn't want to be angry or argue anymore. It was too exhausting. She decided to accept his apology and move forward. She grabbed her shampoo bottle and handed it to Kakashi before putting her head under the cascading water. Whenever they showered together, Kakashi would wash her hair. This all started when Tenten was testing out a new seal technique and ended up dumping a ton of mud on herself. She came home, covered in dried mud and her spirit defeated. Without words, Kakashi took her into the shower and washed her hair. It relaxed her and brought them to a level of intimacy they didn't have before. When he finished, she turned towards him and hugged him tight. They stood there under the warm water holding each other, not saying a word until the water started going cold.

Kakashi woke up right before sunrise. With Tenten nestled into the nook between his left armpit and her head on his chest, it would be difficult for him to move without waking her up. So he stayed there, committing to memory every detail about her. How long her eyelashes were and how they naturally curled upwards. The small dimple on the left corner of her mouth. How serene she looked when she slept. He brushed her bangs from her forehead and kissed the crescent shaped scar hidden by her bangs. This caused her to stir and shift her weight in the opposite direction, pulling away from him. Kakashi didn't want to leave, but he was already late for his morning meeting and this was one where he needed to make an appearance. He somehow managed to slip his arm from beneath her and left the bed, but not before giving her another soft kiss on her forehead.

By the time he finished his shower, Tenten was awake but still in bed. He dressed quickly then sat on the edge of the bed, and leaned down to kiss her gently.

"Do you have to leave now?" Her voice was slightly raspy as if she was still asleep. The roughness of her morning voice was a turn on for Kakashi. It took a lot of effort to not crawl back into bed and skip the meeting. She looked at him with pleading eyes full of hope that he would give in to her. At least that's how he interpreted that look. He leaned over her and kissed her again before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Tenten rolled her eyes, smiled, then got out of bed to start her day.

By the time Tenten reached the training fields, Genma was already there, asleep underneath the shade of a large tree. He looked so peaceful so she decided to let him rest for a little while longer. She knew Genma had been working nights while Izumo escorted Temari back to Suna. But he still agreed to help her train for as long as he could. Tenten was grateful for his help and even more happy about the friendship they developed.

They've spent practically all of their free time together for the past two weeks. The night after her fight with Kakashi, Tenten surprised herself when she opened up to Genma about her relationship problems. She didn't tell him who she was dating, but explained all of her frustrations. She found talking to him was effortless. She knew he wouldn't judge her and he proved to be very supportive. Sometimes he was harsh with his criticisms, but it was always followed up with how she could make things better. He was the reason she began to feel comfortable in her relationship again. He was also the reason, for the first time, she felt like she could really make it into ANBU.

Tenten decided to meditate while he slept. Thanks to his help, it only took her a few days to master meditation and she no longer needed a sound trigger as a focal point. Over the past week, they worked on her chakra sensing. It was still difficult for her to sense subtle nuances of chakra when she wasn't meditating, but when she was fully focused, she could feel the chakra not only in Genma but in other creatures around her. She often wondered if this is what Neji felt and saw when he used his Byakugan. A sudden spike in Genma's chakra alerted her that he was now awake. She opened her eyes to find him standing close to her, stretching his arms over his head and yawning.

"You should head home and rest. We can skip training for today." Even though they've had this exact same conversation every day this week, she still felt guilty and would continue to offer to cancel training.

"Trying to get rid of me now?" Genma smiled then shook his head. "No can do, kid. Besides, today is the last day I can really help out before the exams. I've been called in to help with prep so you'll be on your own until the exam."

The disappointment in her eyes was apparent, but regardless of her own feelings, she smiled and nodded. How much she cared about others was one of her more endearing traits, but he wished sometimes she would be more selfish and do what's in her own best interest. She spent so many years surrounded by a team who would not otherwise survive without her. Catering to other's needs would be a hard habit to break at this point.

"You're doing well with sensing when foreign chakra attempts to take over your senses. Now we will test your ability to slow down the take over. If we had more time or you had a better genjutsu teacher, maybe we could get to you preventing the genjutsu all together."

"You've done more for me than anyone lately. I owe you a lot. Any success I have with this test will be because of your help."

He didn't mean to smile, but he couldn't help it. Her praise made him feel proud and drove him to push her further.

"Don't thank me until you're in ANBU."

Without any prompt or warning, Genma started flowing chakra into Tenten's main sensory chakra points.

"We've done enough of the small stuff. I'm going to cast a genjutsu similar to what you'll experience. I'm going to activate the portion of your brain that triggers fears. It will be mild so at most you'll experience something uncomfortable or unpleasant. Nothing terribly frightening. It's up to you to use your chakra to change the hallucinations or gain control of your own actions. Remember to keep calm and focus like you did during meditation."

Tenten could feel his chakra within her. It felt warm and inviting. Something that felt so cozy couldn't be bad, she thought. She started to give into the almost euphoric feeling of being engulfed by his chakra. Although she heard everything Genma said, her surroundings didn't change and there was nothing around her that would invoke fear. She began to think that maybe she had mastered countering genjutsu on her first try. Without warning a kunai whizzed by her, barely missing her right ear. She immediately went into defensive mode as two more kunai were thrown in her direction. She reached for her own kunai normally in the pouch on her hip, but the pouch was empty. She took one direct hit on the arm and the other kunai narrowly missed her leg.

This can't be the genjutsu, Tenten thought. But who would attack them right now in the middle of training. She avoided several other kunai and took cover behind a large tree. It was here where she saw that her scroll was open and the seal removed. The weapons, HER weapons, materialized from the scrolls and all aimed towards her. She frantically looked for Genma but he was nowhere to be found. She had no weapons and her cover wouldn't suffice for long. It took Tenten a few deep breaths to remember what was happening. Genma's chakra that was once warm and inviting turned cold and heavy inside her head. She tried to steady herself, slowed her breathing and focused her chakra where she felt his.

Two shuriken made contact; one in her left calf and the other on her shoulder blade. She couldn't concentrate with all of the pain and the onslaught of weapons. She decided to use her shinobi training and fight her way out. She removed the weapons lodged into her skin and two kunai that were imbedded into the tree trunk. She used the kunai to deflect several of the weapons coming towards her as she jumped to higher ground. She could not have known there would be an explosive tag waiting for her on the branch. The moment her feet made contact, the tag detonated.

Tenten slowly opened her eyes. The tall trees and cloudy sky was hazy at first, but eventually she was able to focus. The pounding in her head drowned out the ambient sounds of the forest. She turned her head to the left to see Genma sitting on the tree stump and twirling a senbon between his fingers. She sighed and turned back to look up at the sky.

"I don't know what happened. I - I guess I panicked. All I could think to do was fight against what I saw instead of focusing on your chakra."

"Your fighting instincts took over. Makes sense considering you've been trained since a genin to attack and survive. There's a reason your team was considered for so many group missions."

"That mentality won't work here though." She shifted her weight over onto her left side, turning her entire body towards him. "Let's go again."

Genma's grin was wide but mischievous. He knew she would say that and he was ready to go. Again he triggered the genjutsu while she was still on the ground. He wasn't sure what fear triggered in their first attempt, but it didn't appear to have mentally or emotionally scarred her. He wished he could promise the same during the test. He watched for her breathing pattern while she laid there, trapped in his genjutsu. For the first several minutes, she appeared to be handling things well. There was no spike in her chakra and her breathing remained steady.

Tenten felt his invading chakra again but this time she refused to be taken by surprise. She immediately focused her chakra to surround it with her own to use as a buffer. She warily walked around the training fields until she reached the river. Tenten sat down on the edge of the river bank and watched the birds play in the water. It felt like she had been in the genjutsu for hours with nothing happening. She was confident the lack of activity meant she was successful in preventing whatever fear would be triggered. As time went on, her guard waned and she became more relaxed.

Behind her, she could hear the sound of leaves crunching beneath slowing approaching feet. She looked over her shoulder only to find Genma walking in her direction. She stood up once he reached her side and brushed the dirt from her pants.

"Nothing happened. Does this mean I did it?" She couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes. Genma, however, didn't say anything. His face held no expression; not even the bored and apathetic look he usually carried. She was confused by his complete silence.

"I missed something didn't I?" Her shoulders slumped and she hung her head low; disappointed in herself for missing something that was probably obvious. She felt her confidence physically leaving her body.

Genma took her chin in his hand to tilt her head up. He looked directly into her eyes with an intensity Tenten had never experienced. His face moved in slow motion closer to her own. There was nothing she could do to stop it from happening. At least that's what she told herself. Before she knew it, his lips were upon hers. Paralyzed from the shock, her body stiffened and she clamped her eyes shut. His lips were softer than she imagined. Until now, she hadn't noticed the soft smell of wood from a pine tree and a hint of smoke. His scent alone was intoxicating. Adding in the pressure from his lips and Tenten's mind spun out of control. She found herself pressing into him to deepen the kiss. When he tugged at her bottom lip, Tenten snapped to her senses and pulled away.

"Wh-what are you doing!" Her pulse raced and her head was foggy. She was panting heavily; struggling to catch her breath. As he approached her again, Tenten backed further away. Nothing about his behavior made sense. It took her a moment to realize this was part of the genjutsu. Genma would never behave this way. She ran across to the other side of the river to put more distance between them and concentrated on her chakra to regain some form of control. He slowly continued his way towards her. Tenten turned her back to him to regain composure. She couldn't concentrate if she watched him approach her. She steadied her breathing to slow her racing heart. It took a few seconds before she could feel her chakra pushing against his.

By then, he had crossed the river and was a few steps away. She turned to face him. Genma wrapped his right arm around her waist and pulled her towards him. They stood there staring at one another. He started to move to kiss her again. Tenten tried to fight it; to push away the heat of his body against hers, his scent, and his lips. But her defenses were draining and she wanted to give in. Tenten was usually stubborn. She put both her hands against his chest with the intention of pushing him away. But her hands seemed to have a mind of their own when she grabbed his flak jacket and pulled him flush against her. Her actions released a spark of lust in Genma's eyes that sent chills down her spine. As quickly as it all happened, everything disappeared and she was back on the ground looking up at the clouds.

"What was that?" Her voice was so soft she didn't even hear herself. She didn't move; her focus remained on the sky and fast paced clouds while she desperately tried to make sense of everything she saw and felt. All the other genjutsu were centered around her being attacked or killed. Why the sudden change and why with him?

Genma stood over her and didn't even try to hold back the smile to show how proud he was. She was able to survive in the genjutsu for three hours; two hours longer than what is necessary for the test. Her heart rate may have spiked a few times, but each time she regained control. If he hadn't expended so much chakra, he would have guessed she could continue for another one to two hours.

He looked down and her and whistled. "Impressive." Genma reached out his hand to help her up. When she didn't move or blink, he worried that something was wrong and maybe she had a harder time in the genjutsu than he thought. He kneeled down close to her, concern spreading across his typically stoic face.

"You alright? It's over now. Whatever you saw is done with. Sit up and take a few deep breaths."

Almost robotic, she turned her head towards the sound of Genma's voice until their eyes met. Her eyes were dull and her face held no expression. She stared back at a confused Genma while her thoughts replayed the scene in the genjutsu. The longer she looked at him, she began to notice the soft glow created by the sun that surrounded him. His facial features were soft yet mature. And the genuine look of concern warmed her heart. This reminded her of a scene from the last Icha Icha movie that Kakashi dragged her to a few months ago.

When she thought about Kakashi, she became hyper aware of her current situation. Tenten jumped up so quickly, she almost knocked over Genma.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry."

Genma let out a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad you're alive. I used too much chakra that time so I need a moment before we can continue. Let's go grab lunch." He grabbed her bag and slung it over his shoulder and motioned for her to start walking.

"Lunch? With you? I um... I - I just remembered I have to work at the shop early today to cover for Jun. Thank you for everything." Tenten bowed several times before running towards town. She was too embarrassed and confused to face him. Escaping was her only option.

With everyone focusing on preparations for the exam, Kakashi found himself with many opportunities to slip away on one of his strolls through the village to "think." He was nearing Yamanaka's shop when an idea sparked. Kakashi ducked behind a building, formed the hand signals, and in a puff he was ready to enter the shop.

The bell at the top of the door chimed upon Kakashi's entrance. The amalgam of scents from the various species of flowers melted together harmoniously. Kakashi took a deep breath around the first arrangement that caught his eye. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps from the back quickly approaching.

"Good evening sir! Looking for something for an extra special lady?"

Kakashi knew it was a risk, but if he wanted the perfect bouquet, there was no one better than Ino. He was certain that she would not recognize Kakashi under the hinge, but to be safe, he decided to make this encounter short.

He cleared his throat several times before speaking. "Yes ma'am. I need an arrangement for my fiance. I do not know much about flowers so I will leave it to your expertise, please." Kakashi knew Ino would take the bait. If there was anything that Ino loved more than love itself, it was being praised for her abilities.

"Of course I can come up with something perfect. Tell me about her and why you're getting flowers?"

Kakashi didn't want to outright describe Tenten. It would be too obvious. Instead, he decided to vaguely describe what he loved about her.

"She has the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. She will never give up on her friends and will make any sacrifice for them without question. She's gentle yet stubborn. And she can accomplish anything when she puts her mind to it. She challenges me everyday. Even when I mess up, she's been so patient to work on our relationship. I admire her strength and passion. Her outer beauty is just as extraordinary as her inner beauty. She really is perfect for me. I probably don't deserve her but I just want to surprise her with something nice to show her I love her."

Ino's eyes glistened with tears as she listened to his description. He captivated the inner romantic side of Ino. She sighed. "I hope my fiance feels half of what you feel for her. Give me five minutes and I'll be back with something just for you."

It took Ino less than that to deliver another stunning arrangement of flowers. The reds, orange, and yellows blended perfectly to look like a sunset over a sea of green. Kakashi thanked her several times and even tipped her well before leaving in a hurry. Ino was happy to have helped another customer, especially one that was so deeply in love. She couldn't help shake the feeling that there was something familiar about the brown haired, green eyed stranger but she hoped to see him again soon.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: My apologies for the late posting and shorter than normal chapter. I had to split it up this way in order to retain the flow of the story. Thank you for all that read and review. You are the reason I keep going!**

Kakashi was amazed and a little bit jealous while he watched Tenten sleep peacefully. He enjoyed watching her while she slept cradled in his arms. He was grateful that she would be well rested since the next two days would press her limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. She had no idea how tough the test would be on her. And she didn't even know how much the outcome would affect their future together. He tried to push those thoughts from his mind and focus on this moment. But the thought of not being with her caused an intense pain in his chest that he never experienced before. Kakashi glanced at the clock, knowing he needed to head to the Hokage Tower to meet the daiymo. His hatred for that man made it difficult to remain cordial so Kakashi would be defiant in the only way he knew how; by being extremely late and wasting his time. This could be the last time that he would hold her like this and he wanted to savor every moment. Before tearing himself away from her still frame, he pressed his lips against her temple and lingered just for a moment.

"I love you. I believe in you." he said softly into her ear. It was enough to make her stir, but not enough to wake her. Kakashi dressed quickly and quietly before he took one last longing look at her face. If he could just walk away from being hokage, none of this would matter. With a sad smile hidden beneath his face mask, Kakashi walked away for what could be the last time.

Tenten should have been a nervous wreck. But she had such a peaceful, dreamless sleep that she woke up with a newfound confidence she did not have the night before. After her shower and a quick breakfast, she set out for Training Grounds Delta; the training field furthest from the village and only accessible during special events. It would be another hour before the sun would rise but Tenten wanted to be one of the first to arrive. She stopped at his memorial stone for a brief moment.

"You always believed that it was important to be early so I'll keep this short. Today's the day. I should be scared, but I'm not. I guess whatever happens, happens. I'll do my best. Wish me luck."

Quite a few people had the same idea. Although she arrived an hour before registration, by the time Tenten reached the gates to the field, there were already 30 other shinobi. Most she recognized from the weapons shop and around town, but none of them would be considered as her friends. As she meandered her way through the crowd, she felt lonely and longed for that extra bit of support and confidence boost. When she was younger, she always envisioned going through this process with Lee and Neji. Having to go through it alone made her vulnerable. She decided to find a quiet corner and meditate to pass the time.

Her curiosity kept getting the best of her and she found it difficult to meditate. Instead, she watched the people funnel in one by one. For those that she didn't know, she liked to guess what their strengths were, if they were good at ninjutsu or taijutsu, if this was their first time taking the test, how old they were. All sorts of things just to keep herself busy. One person caught her eye. The way he was sitting, she couldn't see his face, but from his side profile she thought she looked familiar. If she didn't know any better she thought the guy could be a slightly taller version of Neji. The way he sat while meditating, his hair, and his clothing all gave off the typical Hyuga vibe. But Tenten was fairly certain that the clan would not let just any Hyuga become Anbu. Tenten's focus on him did not falter and she waited patiently for any chance to see the man's face.

"Everyone please make your way to the tables for instructions."

The mass of Anbu hopefuls made their way to the tables as instructed. She lost sight of the mysterious man to make her way to the front of the line.

"Name?"

"Tenten."

"Full Name." The masked shinobi didn't bother to look up from his stack of papers.

"Oh sorry. Mokuhyō Tenten." She crossed her arms, and mumbled "You could have asked a little nicer."

Either he didn't hear her or he didn't care. Never making any eye contact, he handed Tenten a badge with a number and a generic white mask then waived her off. "You're number 44. Wear the badge so it is visible at all times. Follow the line that way for your physical."

Realizing it wasn't worth the effort to argue about politeness, Tenten followed instructions and stood in the line for the physical. When it was her turn she entered the medical booth and was greeted by a young nurse who immediately shoved a thermometer in her mouth, a blood pressure cuff on her right arm, and shined a light in her ears all while giving Tenten instructions like a programmed robot.

"Confirming you are number 44. This is a preliminary physical to ensure you are well enough to proceed with the exam. Results will be kept in your private file and will only be shared with medical professionals should an emergency arise. All of your vitals seem normal. Please step on the scale so I may measure your weight."

Tenten imagined doing this repeatedly over 100 times could get monotonous but at least the nurse wasn't rude like the guy at registration.

"Weight 106 lbs. Now I need your height. 5 feet, 4 inches. Everything has been entered into the database. Please proceed to the building to the right. Further instructions will be provided once all have completed the physical."

"Thank you. Have a good day." Tenten smiled before exiting the booth, hoping it would rub off a little on the nurse. But by the time Tenten finished her sentence, the nurse already started her speech with the next person.

The inside of the building was set up similar to the classrooms in the academy. When Tenten walked in, she was handed a packet but instructed not to open it until advised. She found a seat in the middle of the room so she could watch the others funnel in. There were a wide variety of people taking the exam. A good mix of active shinobi, some Konoha police force, and even a few civilians arrived. One person caught Tenten's eye the moment he walked through the door. She tried not to stare, but she found it difficult to shift her gaze elsewhere.

With Hinata and Hanabi being more involved in clan affairs, she expected more changes in the future for the Hyuga clan. What Tenten did not expect to see was a branch member participating in the Anbu exams. As he got closer, Tenten averted her eyes to avoid direct eye contact. He selected the seat two chairs down from Tenten, but he didn't acknowledge her existence. She studied him further, not really sure what she was looking for. From the corner of her eye she could tell he had all of the standard Hyuga features; long, straight, jet black hair, light eyes, and pale but flawless skin. If it wasn't for his jawline and that he was a few inches taller, he could have been Neji's twin. Tenten felt uneasy with him so close to her. It was like a ghost watching her every move. She tried her best to distract herself by people watching while waiting for the test to begin.

The room filled quickly and soon Iruka stood at the front of the room to hush the crowd so they could begin.

"All of you have completed Test 1, the physical, and will now begin Test 2. You each should have a packet with your assigned number in the upper right corner. When I instruct you to do so, you will open the packet and answer as many questions as possible within the two hour time limit. If you finish before the time is up, you have the option to exit the room and wait for further instruction. You cannot ask me any questions. You cannot receive assistance from anyone in the room. Your time starts now."

Tenten opened the booklet and stared at the first and only question. In the center of the page was a single question.

"_Why are you here?"_

"Here? Here where? Here taking the test? Here metaphysically? Am I supposed to provide some sort of philosophical answer? What kind of test is this?" Tenten frantically looked around the room. Most had the same panicked expression whereas others just did a better job of hiding it. She glanced at the Hyuga she subconsciously named "anti-Neji" to find him writing diligently. It didn't surprise her that he had no problems with the test.

"Okay Tenten. Calm down and think about this. There's a reason they asked this question and you have two hours to figure it out." She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. All she could do was stare at the paper. Everytime she started to write, she would stop herself and rethink her answer. When Iruka called for everyone to turn in their packets, Tenten had four sentences on her paper. Feeling drained and defeated, she handed her packet to Iruka and sat back in her original seat.

"Now that I have all of the packets, everyone will need to proceed back to the open fields where the registration tables and medical tents were. You'll be called up one at a time in numerical order for the next phase of testing. Good luck!"

Still a bit shaken by the written test, Tenten searched for a secluded corner near a large tree. She needed to regain her composure before she was called in for the next test. She overheard some of the others talking about the techniques they would use for the specialized skills test. Tenten didn't have a plan for this, but she felt beyond comfortable doing anything with weapons and decided that going with the flow would be best.

She sat with her back against the tree, pulled the kunai from her ankle pouch, and proceeded to throw it at the tree across from her. She used the chakra strings she attached to the hilt to bring the kunai back and then repeated the toss. She decided to try on the white mask they gave her at registration. Tenten figured the mask would be used at some point, so she figured now was a good time to test her vision and accuracy while wearing the mask. After several test throws, she noticed the mask slightly restricted her peripheral vision. It was simple enough to account for with a slight shift in the angle of her head in relation to the target. After a few practice throws, she didn't even notice the mask.

In the distance beyond the targeted tree, she noticed the same Hyuga staring in her direction. She tried not to think anything of it until he started to move towards her. Her stomach churned with nerves as the distance between them diminished. She hoped that he wasn't coming to talk to her, but there he was, a foot away still staring at her movements as if he was studying her.

"I wasn't sure when I saw you in the classroom but now I know for certain."

His voice was smooth and calming but he still made her tense. Tenten responded with a puzzled expression but never she removed her eyes from the invisible target on the tree. "Wasn't sure about what?"

"You're Tenten right? The hair was the first clue. The number of kunai you have stashed in your outfit was the second, and then watching you throw sealed it for me."

Tenten stayed silent; not exactly sure how to respond. Clearly this guy knew quite a bit about her, possibly from Hinata, and he was very observant. Still, she wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing.

Sensing her unease, the slightly older Hyuga laughed to try and lighten the mood. "Neji would talk about you a lot. In fact, in your genin days you're the only one of his teammates he would mention. I'm Hyuga Hisoka. Nice to finally meet you, Tenten."

He seemed genuine although Tenten didn't buy it that Neji talked openly about her especially when they were genin.

"I also wanted to thank you for what you did. If it wasn't for you, Lady Hinata, and Lady Hanabi, I wouldn't have this opportunity because of the seal."

She wasn't expecting this. Tenten stopped throwing her kunai, removed her mask, and stood up to face Hisoka.

"No need to thank me Hisoka. I was just doing what Neji would have done." She smiled as she extended her right hand to shake his. Before she could say anything further, her number was called to begin the next test.

"Good luck, Tenten. I hope we can continue our conversation when this is all over." Hisoka bowed as she grabbed her bag and ran towards Shizune.

Shizune guided Tenten to a secluded section of the field enclosed by an invisible barrier that Tenten approximated covered a 100 yard radius. She looked in all directions but there appeared to be no else around. Still, she could feel Kakashi's presence almost as if he was reaching out to her purposefully.

"Number 44, you have 3 minutes from the time I pass the clearing of trees over there to execute your specialty. I'll be here to escort you once time has expired. Any questions?"

"Um. Just one. Specialty? What does that mean?"

A little annoyed with having to elaborate, Shizune responded while walking away. "It's whatever you want to showcase a skill only you have. Or something that will make you stand out."

Three minutes wasn't a long time, so Tenten had to think on her feet. She didn't practice or prepare a special jutsu for this; she didn't even know she had to. So she decided to improvise with combining some of her old techniques with others she's picked up over the years. Before she began, she pulled the white mask down over her face. If they wanted to see her skill level, then she would do it with the mask to prove it would not hinder her during missions.

She grabbed two scrolls from her backpack; one small with red trim and the other slightly larger with black trim. She tossed the red trim scroll high in the air, allowing it to unravel into an arc while she quickly performed the hand seals. With chakra infused feet, she lept towards the scroll, pushing her right palm directly into its center. Sixty wooden puppets emerged from the cloud of smoke. She attached chakra strings to each puppet and scattered them throughout the dome barrier. The puppets landed in various heights and distances; several were hidden behind trees, rocks, or bushes.

From her perch on a large boulder, she detached the chakra strings from the puppets, causing them to move on their own in random patterns. Several puppets drew kunai that were aimed directly at Tenten. Before they could release the weapons, she already activated the next scroll which released a barrage of kunai. The weapons went in seemingly random directions, but upon a closure look, each released kunai successfully intercepted the ones thrown by the puppets. The puppets reloaded in preparation for a second assault but Tenten was ready. She pressed her palm into another portion of the black scroll to release 22 shuriken. This time, she threw them herself, landing a critical hit on every puppet she targeted. With one last press of the scroll she pulled one final weapon; the bashosen. She first used it as a shield to block the weapons hurled towards her. Then with one final command, she swung the bashosen towards the remaining puppets, releasing a shock wave of air pressure that critically damaged not only the puppets but everything else in its path.

After a quick glance around to verify every puppet was down. It took her 1 minute and 54 seconds. Satisfied with her work, Tenten spent the remainder of the time collecting the broken puppets and scattered weapons and replacing them in her scrolls.

**A/N #2: The last name I chose for Tenten means target. Also, I've been watching Hunter x Hunter a lot lately so there's two nods to the anime in this chapter. Did you notice?**


End file.
